Overview

• On the night of October 10, a pod of orcas struck a French-flagged 36ft yacht more than 50 km southeast of Peniche, leaving the vessel taking on water.
• The five people aboard—two adults and three children aged 8, 10 and 12—sent an SOS and abandoned to a life raft before being recovered by the fishing boat Silmar.
• An EH-101 Merlin helicopter from Squadron 751 launched from Montijo at 8:45 p.m., winched the family from Silmar, and returned to base around 11 p.m.
• A Navy frigate and a Peniche Port Authority lifeboat were also deployed, and the family underwent hospital checks before being released without injuries and receiving French consular support.
• Portugal’s Maritime Authority reports 61 orca-interaction warnings to sailors so far this year, outpacing last year, as incidents since 2020 have damaged vessels without reported human casualties.