Orcas strike yacht off Portugal, family of five rescued

A family of five was rescued late on October 10 after a pod of orcas struck their 36 foot French-flagged yacht about 50 to 55 miles southeast of Peniche, Portugal, leaving the vessel damaged and taking on water, Portuguese authorities said. The parents and their three children, aged 8, 10 and 12, abandoned the yacht in a life raft, were picked up by a nearby fishing boat and were then winched to safety by an Air Force EH101 Merlin helicopter. They were taken to hospital for checks, released without serious injury and are receiving consular assistance.

Lisbon’s maritime search and rescue service received the family’s SOS call on Friday evening and dispatched the Air Force helicopter along with a naval frigate and a lifeboat. A Portuguese Air Force spokesperson confirmed the deployment and said the five people were rescued after abandoning the vessel. Video released by the Air Force shows rescue crews transferring the family from the fishing boat to the helicopter amid darkness and rough seas.

The incident is the latest in a string of orca interactions with leisure vessels along the Iberian Atlantic coast that have intensified since 2020. Authorities and maritime groups have...