A dramatic rescue by helicopter was needed today after a man became stranded on a rock at Vale dos Homens beach in Rogil, Aljezur.
The Portuguese Air Force helicopter was called up as a sea rescue was too dangerous with swelling seas and a rising tide and land approach also was deemed too dangerous.
The alert was raised in the early afternoon on Monday October 8th. Two patrolling Maritime Police went to the area, as did personnel from the local fire service but they decided that an airlift gave the man his best chance of survival.
The Portuguese Air Force sent a helicopter to the scene and whisked the man off his rock at around 4pm.
Firefighter Hélio Oliveira, 25, swam to the rock and stayed with the man for about two and a half hours as the tide rose, until the helicopter arrived.
The man, 52, who could not swim, showed signs of hypothermia so was taken straight to Portimão Hospital where the nurses are on strike.
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