Finnish adventurer Jari Saario was rescued early on Sunday after his rowing boat was badly damaged in violent seas in the South Atlantic.
According to Marine Industry News, the incident happened about 3 000 kilometres southwest of South Africa, within waters monitored by South African rescue authorities.
The 53-year-old had been attempting to row solo from Cape Horn in Chile to Cape Town. His journey was cut short after a storm caused his boat to capsize and flood.
According to Saario, the Finn was checking a faulty rudder when a wave struck the vessel.
His row boat was 7.3 metres long, 1.6 metres wide, and 1.4 metres high and weighed 600 kgs when loaded.
The impact of the wave flipped the boat upside down and water began pouring into the cabin, soaking batteries and triggering a fire.
“I had to scoop water out of the cabin as hard as possible,” Saario said in an Instagram post. “In this same hatch, a bag with my dry suit floated out and it disappeared into the sea.”
“The electricity was out and the boat felt like it was sinking, and some of the critical equipment was lost. There was nothing I could do but press the distress call.”
South Africans to the rescue
The alert was received by the South African Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) on Friday evening. From there, officials took charge of coordinating the response.
Saario was stranded in an extremely remote part of the South Atlantic. The MRCC identified the nearest vessel able to assist.
A Greek merchant ship, the Cymona Eagle, was diverted from its route on Saturday morning. The ship was sailing from Argentina to Bangladesh.
After hours of tough sailing conditions, the vessel reached Saario’s position. Winds were reported to be extremely strong, with large waves complicating efforts.
The Finn was rescued at around 2am on Sunday while his damaged seven-metre row boat was eventually abandoned at sea.
Saario was taken aboard the Cymona Eagle in a stable condition. He later posted a video online apologising to his family and supporters.
He described the events and the subsequent rescue as “completely incomprehensible”.
Saario, a former firefighter, is an experienced ocean rower who has previously rowed solo across the Atlantic and back.
In 2023, he rowed from the Canary Islands to Antigua and back via Canada to Germany.
The Cymona Eagle is now heading to Cape Town and is expected to arrive on 16 January.
