The Portuguese Navy has rescued a Hungarian kayak team drifting and slowly sinking south of Vila Real de Santo António.
The two Hungarian kayakers were found 40 kilometres south of Vila Real de Santo António and were saved by the help of swift action from the Coordination Centre for Maritime Search and Rescue in Lisbon linked in to the VRSA port authority.
The Lisbon rescue centre received a distress call at about 16.30 yesterday and immediately ordered the launch of a rescue boat.
The hapless Hungarians were spotted at 18.30 and their kayak, which already was close to sinking, was taken under tow. The rescue operation was laborious due to the conditions with the two craft crawling back to port at dawn.
The Hungarian sportsmen had started a bid to cross the Atlantic, but due to their kayak filling with water thought it best to request assistance.
