Atlantic on the train: the Portuguese navy denies having found the body of the French adventurer

Contrary to what had been announced the day before by his team, the body of the French Jean-Jacques Savin, septuagenaire adventurer who was trying to cross the Atlantic on the train, was not found aboard his canoe, announced SundayThe Portuguese Navy.

"The research ended yesterday at the end of the day (Saturday) without it being possible to find the victim" whose boat was found off the Azore archipelago, said the Lusitanian navy in a press release.

The day before, the entourage of the 75 -year -old navigator, who had made himself known by crossing the Atlantic in a barrel in 2019, had reported that his body had been "found lifeless" inside his boatl'Audacieux canoe cabin.

Questioned Sunday evening by AFP, a spokesperson for the Portuguese navy explained that during the rescue operation the rescuers had "strong reasons for a body could be inside".

"There have been confusion that we are currently trying to clarify.We don't know more.We are awaiting information from the Portuguese authorities, "said the advertising team in France in France.

- Documents found -

"Unfortunately, since 00:34 yesterday morning (Friday), we no longer have any contact or demonstration on his part," said AFP for members of his team on Saturday morning.According to them, he had triggered his two distress beacons, "indicating being +in great difficulty +".

The canoe of the septuagenarian was found upside down, as evidenced by a photo broadcast by the Portuguese navy where we see the shell of the boat floating on the surface, then hoisted on one of his corvettes.

The first merchant naval ship to have joined the position where the alert "said it had seen the boat and the navigator in the early hours of Friday January 21, but when they approached the boat hesaid the man was no longer there ".

"One of the merchant ships collected a waterproof bag that contained inside the identification documents for the browser," said the Portuguese navy.

During the last contacts, Jean-Jacques Savin was north of Madeira, offshore, and was traveling to the island of Ponta Delgada, in the Azores archipelago, to repair.

Because shortly after his departure from Sagres (south of Portugal) on January 1, this great sportsman had been quickly confused due to bad winds.His initial journey had thus been extended by 900 km then he had to encounter serious energy and communication problems.

- "Nargage old age" -

On Wednesday, on his Facebook page, Jean-Jacques Savin mentioned the "strong swell and the force of wind", adding that he was obliged to "use (his) manual" his)."It costs me physical energy.Rest assured, I'm not in danger! "He wrote.

Living in Arès, in the Arcachon basin, in the southwest of France, he intended to cross the Atlantic on the train and become "the dean of the Atlantic", "a way of taunting old age".

He had celebrated his 75th birthday on January 14 aboard his eight -meter -long canoe, 1.70 m wide and equipped with two cabins and a train station.

"I go on vacation to the open sea, I take three months of vacation," he had little before his departure.

In 2019, this former parachutist soldier, thin and muscular, had spent more than four months in a barrel -shaped boat three meters long and 2.10 m in diameter.He had thus crossed the Atlantic alone, pushed by the winds and the currents.

This former private pilot and conservative of national park in Africa had thus joined the Antilles, which he hoped again.