75-Year-Old Adventurer Attempting To Row Across The Atlantic Ocean Dies

FRANCE-ADVENTURE-SAILING-ENVIRONMENT

Photo: Getty Images

Jean-Jacques Savin's quest to row across the Atlantic Ocean ended in tragedy just three weeks into the three-month journey. The 75-year-old adventurer set out from Portugal on January 1 and was headed toward Ponta Delgada in the Azores islands.

On Thursday (January 20) night, he sent out a pair of distress beacons, indicating he was in serious trouble. Rescue workers were dispatched and found his canoe, named Audacious, overturned in the water. A diver went underwater and located Savin's body inside the cabin of his vessel.

"Unfortunately, this time, the ocean was stronger than our friend, who loved sailing and the sea so much," his support team wrote on Facebook. "It is with great sadness that we have just learned of the death of our friend Jean-Jacques."

Before setting off the distress beacons, Savin said he was battling strong winds and having issues with his solar panels. He assured those following his journey that he was "not in danger" and planned to fix the problems when he arrived at Ponta Delgada.

Savin's support team said they do not plan to release any other details surrounding his death.

Savin, who was a former military paratrooper, had experience crossing the Atlantic Ocean by himself. In 2019, he accomplished the feat in a giant orange barrel.


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content