May 16, 2023
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Erica Vicente, a 17-year-old, had been out paddle boarding when she was thrown off course by a strange storm, leaving her stranded on the board for an astonishing 22 hours. A massive search and rescue mission had been launched in order to find her, but it was ultimately unsuccessful.
It wasn’t until the crew of the MSC Reef, a Dutch cargo ship, noticed her while they were en route to Morocco that she was pulled from imminent danger.
Around 5:30 p.m. on April 15th, they expertly rescued and brought Erica on board their vessel, which had been about a day after she vanished. The incredible footage shows them as they skillfully perform their technical rescue operation and get her back to safety.
As soon as Erica was brought on board, the crew conversed with her in English to get her information before informing the authorities. Right now, she is being treated at Faro Hospital in Faro, Algarve and Horacio Guerreiro -the clinic director- reports that she is “fine, stable and not dehydrated.”
Guerreiro said Erica, from Setubal, Portugal, is drowsy but doing well and should be out of the hospital within 24 to 48 hours. He mentioned they are carefully monitoring her kidney function as excessive hydration can bring on cerebral oedema.
He also praised her resistance, noting that although she’s not a communicator, she is a fighter and a hero for enduring so much time at sea.
Reference: The Sun, Daily Mail
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