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Lost at sea in a small dinghy, Aaron Carotta spent two weeks adrift, before finally being rescued by an oil tanker in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
A tiny boat, next to an oil tanker. After 17 days adrift, American adventurer Aaron Carotta has just been rescued in the middle of the Pacific, thanks to international cooperation. While the search had been abandoned, the authorities of French Polynesia picked up a signal from its distress beacon, Thursday, June 15, 950 km east of the Marquesas Islands. A US Coast Guard aircraft spotted him. The nearest vessel, a Bahamian-flagged tanker, took 18 hours to reach its life raft.
Tricky weather conditions
Aaron Carotta, 45, is a big travel fan. He had left for a four-man solo trip around the world aboard this rowing boat, Smiles. He left Panama on February 6 and rounded the Galapagos Islands before his distress signal went off on May 31. He recounted his journey on social networks, and on his last video, the weather seemed threatening.
After 49 days without landing on his frail boat, the conditions were beginning to worry him. His canoe had indeed ended up capsizing a few days later. The castaway should be landed by the tanker by June 25 in Honolulu (United States).