Unscheduled stop in Richards Bay for World’s Toughest Row entrant

Marc Germiquet, a Botswana athlete training for the World’s Toughest Row, found himself in need of assistance on Saturday during a training run from Durban to Richards Bay.

Amid strong southwesterly winds that had him on a Mozambique-bound trajectory, Marc signalled for assistance from Richards Bay NSRI.

Having been notified of Marc’s training bringing him to local waters, the NSRI were quick to assist the seasoned rower into the Port of Richards Bay.

“During routine training exercises at sea on board NSRI Richards Bay rescue craft Ocean Guardian and Spirit of Round Table II, [we] were contacted by family of [the] man, reporting that he required assistance offshore of Richards Bay,” said Richards Bay NSRI deputy station commander Norman Rautenbach.

“Following a search, we located [Germiquet] in the vicinity of the Patinga wreck.

“He was safe and in good spirits, and considering the challenge that he is training for, landing up in Mozambique would have been no problem for him but we were happy to assist.”

After notifying his family that he was safely ashore and organising accommodation for him for the night, the NSRI took Marc to their rescue base where he joined them for a braai while watching the rugby.

He went safely on his way back to Durban the following day.

Marc is rowing 4 800km across the Atlantic Ocean in December in the World’s Toughest Row to raise funds for Bush Ways Foundation, a Botswana NPO, to help build a primary school.

For more information, visit www.oceanways.org

HAVE YOUR SAY