Rescue at Sea: Americans Tossed Overboard During Fundraising Effort to Help Fellow Veterans

They call it the world’s toughest row, one that brings voyages to remember – especially this one, for a team that encountered high waves during their 2022 expedition. That’s when an All-American team of four military veterans were rescued after their boat capsized during a 3,000-mile Atlantic rowing challenge.

Fight Oar Die’s rowing boat turned over after being hit by a large wave northwest of the Cape Verde Islands in December 2022.

They were 16 days into the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge  – and abandoned into a life raft after they were unable to right their vessel.

A nearby ship picked up the team, and brought them aboard the Hanze Goteborg, a Dutch bulk carrier.

Atlantic Campaigns released a statement about the rescued team, saying: “The crew of Fight Oar Die are safe and well. Following being capsized by a massive wave, the boat failed to self-right.

“Despite the best efforts of the crew, they were unable to right the vessel and abandoned into the life raft.

“A nearby vessel was alerted and the rescue was carried out. The crew are safely on board vessel Hanze Goteborg, being well looked after and will make landfall in Canada in early January.”

The statement went on: “Atlantic Campaigns will support Will, Chad, Nick and Tommy on their journey home and will continue to liaise with their ground crew.

“The weather on the Atlantic has been really testing our incredible fleet and will continue to for the next 12-24 hours, however calmer days will soon return, and our safety team continue to monitor all teams on all systems 24 hours a day.”

The Fight Oar Die team was taking part in the Atlantic challenge to raise money for veterans.

A statement from the Fight Oar Die support team said: “We don’t have a lot of answers besides they are safe, alive, and apparently uninjured. We are in touch with them and their families.

“Thank you to this ship for being in the right part of the Atlantic at the right time.”

The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge extreme endurance event is an annual challenge that sees competitors row more than 3,000 miles, travelling west from San Sebastian in La Gomera, Canary Islands, to Nelson’s Dockyard English Harbour, in Antigua and Barbuda.

A Pacific race begins this year in mid-June. That’s when teams of two, three, four, and five rowers will take on theoute from Monterey, California to Hanalei Bay, Kaua’i.