Swiss National Rescued After Vessel Galatea Sinks in Seychelles Waters
VICTORIA, Seychelles — A Swiss national was rescued on Friday and transported to Mahé for medical evaluations and questioning after the vessel Galatea sank in Seychelles waters, bringing the total number of people rescued from the stricken vessel to 10, though two other Swiss nationals and one Seychellois crew member remain unaccounted for and search efforts are continuing. The rescued individual was reported to be in stable condition despite experiencing sun exposure, elevated blood pressure, and mild hypothermia since the incident, according to officials who addressed a press conference on Saturday afternoon.
The sinking of the Galatea and the ongoing search for missing persons has highlighted the ever-present dangers of maritime travel in the vast and remote outer island waters of Seychelles, where rescue operations require coordinated efforts between multiple agencies and depend critically on the accurate reporting of vessel positions and distress signals. The incident serves as a sobering reminder to all mariners of the importance of safety protocols, emergency equipment, and route reporting in one of the world’s most sparsely populated ocean areas.
Among the people rescued earlier on Friday, nine individuals were on board a dinghy that reached Desroches Island in the outer islands of Seychelles, according to the Ministry of Transport, Ports and Civil Aviation. The captain of the vessel was confirmed to be in police custody, with authorities stating that they await the arrival of three other rescued individuals scheduled to arrive on Mahé on Saturday evening before proceeding with the necessary investigation steps. Christian Lionnet, deputy chief official from the Seychelles Maritime Safety Authority, confirmed that the rescued individuals were in stable health but required precautionary medical evaluations before questioning could proceed.
Updates on the incident and rescue efforts were provided at the Saturday press conference by representatives of the Ministry of Transport, Ports and Civil Aviation, the Seychelles Maritime Safety Authority, the Islands Development Company, and Seychelles Police, with the Galatea having reportedly sunk in the early hours of Friday at the position 06°22.55’S, 053°02.289’E. In a joint communiqué issued on Friday, the Ministry and the SMSA urged all mariners to remain vigilant, exercise extreme caution, and report any sighting of the missing individuals.
The search for the two missing Swiss nationals and the Seychellois crew member was continuing as of Sunday, with authorities deploying available assets to cover the area surrounding the vessel’s last known position. The remoteness of the location and the open ocean conditions in the outer island zone present significant challenges to search and rescue operations, and authorities have appealed for any vessels in the area to maintain a lookout and report any sightings to the SMSA immediately.
The Galatea incident underscores the critical importance of the Seychelles Maritime Safety Authority’s monitoring and response capacity in a jurisdiction that spans over 1.3 million square kilometres of ocean.
