Lucky escape for Florence Arthaud

[Sybarite]

She fell overboard on Saturday evening while sailing solo some 10 miles north of Cape Corsica.

She had her cell phone on her in a plastic bag and was able to call her brother in Paris who set the rescue mission underway.

After many hours in the water (18°) and suffering from hypothermia she is now ok after a hospital exam. The search is underway for her 10m boat.

 

[Duffer]

As you say a very lucky escape. A PLB would have given her exact position as well as being waterproof (around £200). Obviously best not to fall off in the first place...

 

[Poignard]

This sort of incident always results in my being very careful about remembering to clip on but after a few weeks I find I am getting careless about it again; especially when I have to quickly nip up forward to clear a snagged headsail sheet, for example.

I don't carry a mobile or an epirb so if I did go in I would spent my last few hours regretting my folly

 

[SlimRick]

Lucky to get a cell phone reception 10 miles off-shore!

 

[binch]

Calling

Have only ever made one serious call from a mobile phone at sea.
About 10 miles east of Kentish Knock light, I lost the mainmast at 0400. (It's always 0400)
With no lights, I wanted to warn the coastguard. No reply on VHF so called them on mobile phone. No problem. How far from shore were we?
Also called daughter who was due to meet us at Ramsgate.
Made it after another 12 hours under jury rig and found a TV crew waiting.
Oh my God! we thought. But they were waiting for somebody else, some twit of a sleb

 

[Poignard]

Have only ever made one serious call from a mobile phone at sea.

The only mobile phoning I ever did at sea was when returning single-handed form Cherbourg one day. There was no wind and I got very bored just motoring so I called Classic FM to request a piece of music. The person I spoke to got very excited about the idea of a request from a boat at sea and I was soon put throught to the presenter and interviewed about my trip. I was told they would play the music I asked for and, assuming it would be done before the end of the programme, I made several calls to relatives telling them to tune into Classic FM and listen out for my request.

We all waited in vain because the request wasn't played until a fortnight later!

Still, it helped to relieve the monotony of the crossing.

 

[Sandy]

I called Classic FM to request a piece of music.

Note to self, put the telephone numbers of all the radio stations in my mobile for my next Channel crossing.

Lovely story thanks for sharing.

 

[rickym]

Parsifal has been dining out on that story for years!

 

[TSB240]

Caught short not clipped on according to her quote in the Times!

Could have been DKO (Dead Knickers Off) rather than WOB

 

[tennisgirl1]

She described in an interview on French TV news how she was caught off balance whilst zipping up her trousers! so not clipped on and oops over the side. Perhaps there's a lesson to be learnt here.

 

[Mark-1]

Lucky to get a cell phone reception 10 miles off-shore!

Maybe not in the wilds of Wales but on the South Coast I seem to get reliable signal more than 10 miles out.

Not much use to you in Wales, but I reckon down here Ms Mark can often check up on me nearly a third of the way across the channel. :-(