Royal Air Force Aids Crude Oil Tanker in Daring Yacht Rescue

Last week, on November 3rd, the crude oil tanker “GREEN AZURE”, aided by the Royal Air Force performed a daring rescue of a sailor who had been stranded on a severely damaged yacht in the midst of the storm Ciaran.

The Norwegian-flagged yacht had sent out a distress signal on November 2nd while located approximately 700 miles north of the coast of Cornwall. Given the considerable distance involved, the Royal Air Force’s fixed-wing aircraft, equipped with a greater range than coastal rescue helicopters, were called upon to respond to the emergency.

A French Navy FA50 Falcon maritime patrol plane managed to locate the distressed yacht and reported the skipper still be alive. Upon this confirmation, on November 3rd, an RAF Atlas A400 search plane was promptly dispatched to take over the search mission, followed by a larger Poseidon P-8 aircraft.

The Poseidon P-8 aircraft was outfitted with a search and rescue package in its weapons bay, prepared for an airdrop to ensure the skipper’s survival. Fortunately, the crew of the crude oil tanker “GREEN AZURE,” which had initially responded to the distress call, managed to successfully rescue the survivor. The Poseidon aircraft, closely monitored the situation, and remained on stand by to provide assistance with emergency rafts and supplies should they be needed.