It was late on Thursday 2 November that a Norwegian-registered sailboat sent out a distress call from the Atlantic Ocean. The sailboat had lost both masts in the high waves, some 700 British miles, or 1,100 kilometers, from the coast of England. French and British aircraft were sent out to rescue the Norwegian, the British Air Force wrote on its own website. The main rescue center in Northern Norway confirms that there has been a rescue operation of a Norwegian in British waters. They will not comment on the matter further. A freighter contributed to the rescue operation Photo: RAF Caught in the storm Large parts of Western Europe have been affected by the storm “Ciaran” this week. On Thursday, high waves and wind gusts of up to 160 km/h were reported in some places in southern England. It was in these conditions that the Norwegian had to be rescued from the sailboat. The British aircraft are said to have located the sailboat and the sailor, before they showed a cargo ship the way to the badly damaged boat. The sailor was picked up by the cargo ship early on Friday morning. The Air Force moved out in the evening on 2 November to locate both the boat and the sails. Photo: RAF Receives treatment for his injuries The sailor will now be transported to a local, British hospital, where he will receive treatment for the injuries he is said to have sustained in the storm. According to news’s experience, there is no question of life-threatening injuries. The man must have sailed alone from Ireland and must have been on his way to the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago west of Portugal. “Ciaran” took several lives The storm “Ciaran” has caused great destruction in recent days. At least 15 people had lost their lives when the worst of the devastation was over in France and England on Friday. Most were hit by trees that fell due to the strong gusts of wind. At the same time, the storm reached the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and Germany on Friday. In Italy, the authorities declared a state of emergency in parts of the country due to heavy rainfall and strong winds.
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