Woman Rescued After Surviving Three Days At Sea In A Dinghy

A 45-year-old woman survived three days at sea after her dinghy was blown off course by the wind while returning to her husband’s chartered yacht.

The woman, whose name has not been revealed, was swept across the Aegean sea as she was returning from the shore to the yacht. She drifted for more than 100 miles, before being found and rescued from 50 miles north of Crete on Sunday. She went missing on Friday.

A navy helicopter and six vessels were involved in her search before her dinghy was spotted by a coastguard on patrol. Though she was found alive, she was completely exhausted from the ordeal she suffered, The Sun reported.

She was being treated for dehydration at the Herakleion, a port city in Crete island. Efforts were being made to get in touch with her husband.

The woman, who is originally from New Zealand, and her British husband had anchored their chartered yacht at the bay of Agkali, off the Greek island of Folegandros. Having decided to go to the shore to buy some supplies she got into the dinghy.

After finishing her purchase, she rang her husband to tell she was on her way back to the yacht, however, she was blown away by the winds and couldn’t make it back.

The woman is thought to be an expert sailor, with experience of taking part in international competitions.

Last year, a 46-year-old air hostess from Cheltenham had survived 10 hours in the Adriatic sea, after she went overboard from a cruise ship. The woman sang to herself in order to beat the cold, until help arrived.