Two sailors aged 28 and 32 were rescued Monday April 17 at the entrance to the port of Bayonne
. The tug they were sailing on overturned during an operation. Thirty firefighters and members of the SNSM were called to the scene. France Bleu Pays Basque pays tribute to the rescuers this Tuesday, May 23. On this occasion, Pierre Maton, from the barracks of Saint-Jean-Luz, tells us about this intervention.
The two sailors stranded but alive
“We realize quite quickly that it is an unprecedented operation for usbecause underwater, it is rare that we have the chance to recover people, explains the rescuer. There there is contact with the sailors who are trapped in an air pocket, at the level of the hold of the boat. We know they are there, that we can carry out a rescue.”
Pierre Maton is present with his colleague Fabien. The two men managed to join the sailors by diving. They will then set up a “life line” to the outside to evacuate them. “We were lucky despite really unfavorable conditions that day, with a large tidal coefficient and a strong current, very heavy water with little visibility. The water and the atmosphere were also polluted by the wreck, so yes it was difficult”continues the firefighter.
One of the most significant interventions of his career
The operation lasted about an hour. The sailors were hypothermic when they got out of the boat. “They really made it easier for us with their calm and coolness.recognizes Pierre Maton. When they came out, it was a deliverance. There really was many people on the banks, who were able to accommodate them. It was a relief.“
An intervention that the firefighter will remember for a long time. One of the most significant of his career. She will stay “carved in marble”for him.
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