This is the moment a man was rescued off the Costa del Sol while crossing the Gibraltar Strait using just an inflatable ring.
The incident unfolded on the morning of July 16, coinciding with the Virgen del Carmen festival – a day marked by heavy maritime traffic.
An Andalucian family was heading to the Balearic Islands on their sailboat when, some 13 miles south of Benalmadena, they noticed movement in the water.
At first, they assumed it was a bird or fish, but a closer look via binoculars revealed it was a man.
They immediately changed course and contacted Maritime Rescue.
When they reached him, the swimmer – described as young and in decent physical condition – was wearing a wetsuit, fins, and a lifebuoy.
He was brought aboard, given water, clothing, blankets and a cup of broth.
‘He barely spoke; he was covered up the whole time because he didn’t want to know anything about anyone,’ according to the Royal Spanish Assembly of Yacht Captains.
Maritime Rescue instructed the family to head toward Estepona. The lifeboat Gadir was dispatched and intercepted the sailboat at sea before escorting it to the port of Málaga.
The man’s identity is not known, and it remains unclear what direction he was heading in and why.
Read more Spain news at the Spanish Eye.
