A coastguard rescue operation is underway after severe damage was caused to Letterkenny man Jason Black’s Atlantic-crossing boat.
Black as well as his rowing partner Neil Glover had been attempting a 5,000 kilometre row as part of the C-MAP Atlantic Dash ocean rowing regatta, on behalf of three-time F1 World Champion Jackie Stewart’s charity Race Against Dementia.
The two had been on their journey since the start of January and making great progress until they were struck with heavy waves during a storm.
In an update on social media, Jason Black shared that severe damage to the boat’s rudder had been caused and that they contacted the Spanish Coastguard to co-ordinate a rescue as their boat was unfit to carry on.
Luckily both Jason and Neil are okay, and currently awaiting a ship to reach them in the next few hours to rescue them.
“The storm came up over the top of us and turned us sideways, and as we surfed down the wave it snapped off the rudder,” Black shared in a video posted to social media this morning.
“Unfortunately that left us rudderless and we had no control of the boat. At that stage myself and Neil lowered the sea anchor… that holds the boat stable.”
“We have reached out to the Coastguard and they are liazing on a rescue with an American freight ship, it will be six hours away. Currently at the moment we are both safe… the boat is intact and stable, so we are just waiting to get rescued.”
