Tanker Crew Rescues Solo Rower Hit By Rogue Waves 1,100 Miles Offshore

The crew of the Liberian-flagged tanker Horten, working with U.S. Coast Guard watchstanders in San Juan, rescued a Belgian ocean rower late Wednesday after his vessel capsized in heavy seas more than 1,100 nautical miles east of Puerto Rico.

Benoit Bourguet, 47, was competing in the World’s Toughest Row, a 3,000-mile solo race from the Canary Islands to Antigua, when two rogue waves struck his single-man rowing boat, City of Liverpool, in 13- to 15-foot seas. The impact capsized the vessel, forcing Bourguet to abandon ship and deploy his life raft.

The rescue operation began around 2 a.m. when Coast Guard Sector San Juan received an emergency distress signal from an unregistered 406 MHz EPIRB, followed shortly by a second alert from Bourguet’s personal locator beacon. Repeated attempts to reach Bourguet through race coordinators were unsuccessful, prompting the Coast Guard to issue an Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) call to nearby commercial shipping.

The 1,092-foot tanker Horten, en route from Germany to offshore Guyana, responded to the alert and diverted more than 100 miles, transiting for over 12 hours to reach the reported position. Guided by updated beacon data, the crew eventually spotted a life raft in heavy seas and confirmed Bourguet’s presence.

Despite challenging conditions, the tanker’s crew successfully recovered Bourguet using a lifering. He was found dehydrated but otherwise in good condition after spending nearly 24 hours adrift, having kept his overturned vessel tethered to the raft.

“We are very proud of the seamless coordination between our watchstanders and the courageous crew of the motor tanker Horten, which resulted in the successful rescue of a mariner,” said Lt. Kenneth Snyder, Coast Guard Sector San Juan mission coordinator. “Their swift response reflects the professionalism and compassion that define the maritime community.”

Zodiac Maritime, which manages the Horten, also praised the crew’s actions.

“We are immensely proud of our crew, whose professionalism and seamanship in challenging circumstances, and close coordination with the United States Coast Guard, helped save a life,” said Tanuj Luthra, Zodiac’s chief operating officer.

The incident underscores the vital role of properly registered emergency beacons in ocean safety. Coast Guard officials emphasized that accurate beacon registration significantly improves response times and rescue outcomes.

The Horten and race organizers are coordinating Bourguet’s transfer ashore at a later date.

The rescue underscores the critical role of the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) system, the Coast Guard’s voluntary global ship-reporting network that links vessels in distress with nearby commercial ships. By providing real-time position data and routing information, AMVER enabled watchstanders to quickly identify the Hortenas the best-positioned vessel for the response, cutting precious hours off the search.

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