A body was floating: returning from Med Max, a French skipper rescues migrants in distress in the Mediterranean Sea

Thibaut Vauchel-Camus lors de la Route du Rhum 2022. (Illustration) MAXPPP – Marc OLLIVIER

This Monday, October 7, 2024, skipper Thibaut Vauchel-Camus, who was returning from a competition, came to the aid of a migrant boat in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.

Thibaut Vauchel-Camus, a skipper and multiple French Formula 18 champion (catamaran competition), took part in the Med Max, a sailing race between France and Morocco. While returning on Monday, the Frenchman came to the aid of a migrant boat that was in difficulty in the Mediterranean Sea, reports France 3.

“He ended up dying”

The skipper told the local media about the terrible encounter he ;he made while sailing from Morocco towards the French coast. "On was returning from Med Max where we arrived in Saïdia (Morocco) and we set sail on Sunday evening towards Sainte-Maxime for the next race", he explained .

It was in the middle of the sea that he crossed paths with a makeshift boat, with many people on board, but also a corpse floating. "We later understood that it was a 22-year-old diabetic young man and that he no longer had any insulin to treat himself. He ended up dying", Thibaut Vauchel-Camus whispered to Radio France.

If the crew came to the aid of these people who were in distress and who wanted to reach Spain, in particular by giving them water and food, the Frenchman is very affected by the situation in the Mediterranean Sea.

"That's revolting"

"When we see that we, sailors, professionals, we are going to take risks at sea, in full awareness, and that in the event of a problem there are very impressive means implemented to recover us. Alongside that, there are people who are adrift in front of everyone and for whom nothing is happening. That is revolting", he lamented.

The local media specifies that Thibaut Vauchel-Camus had already crossed paths with a boat in the middle of the sea several years ago, but that the latter was empty.