Local police notify Interpol about abandoned vessel

May 22, 2009 News

Remy Alnet with the vessel in earlier times. (YachtPals.com)

The vessel discovered in the Corentyne River is suspected to be one which had capsized and was abandoned during a race between Senegal and French Guiana early last month.
The police have since contacted Interpol on the vessel, which is currently in the possession of ranks at the Leonora Police Station.

Thus far, the police have not received any response but a reminder is expected to be sent within the next 24 hours. The vessel called the ‘Areva’ is owned by Frenchman, Remy Alnet, who was a competitor in the second edition of the Bouvet Rames Guyane Ocean rowing race between Senegal and French Guiana.
This newspaper understands that the Bouvet Rames Guyane is arguably the most grueling race on the planet. Solo contestants must literally row across the Atlantic Ocean, from Senegal to French Guiana.
Alnet’s boat capsized while he was rowing just over 400 miles off the coast of French Guiana and due to two emergency beacons, four cargo ships changed course immediately to aid the distressed rower.
Some 29 hours after the capsizing, the supertanker Astra Chloé arrived on scene, rescuing Alnet from his damaged row boat. “The boat lost its balance and capsized quickly. I wanted to activate the pumping system, but it didn’t work.

“I imagined that they were looking for me as was keeping hope, but it was really hard because the waves were destabilizing me, and I kept losing my balance and fell in the water many times.
I can tell you that I swallowed a lot of seawater during the night. But I was holding on to the oars, not letting go. In the end I attached myself to the oars.”
The survivor added that at day-rise when he saw the cargo ship 300 metres away.
“The crew of the Astro Chloé saw me and got me onboard with a basket. They tried to save my boat, but that didn’t work.”
The vessel was found on Sunday on the Corentyne River by three local fishermen on a trawler.
At the time of the discovery, the fishermen claimed that the vessel was abandoned and ransacked.