Portuguese Teen Rescued at Sea After 22-Hour Ordeal on Paddleboard

Erica Vicente, a 17-year-old teenager from Setubal, Portugal, had the scare of her life. While training in paddleboarding, she was suddenly swept away by violent winds near Monte Gordo, in the Algarve region of Portugal. A large search and rescue operation was launched to find the teenager. In vain. 22 hours later, the terrified teenager was saved by the crew of a Dutch cargo ship, the MSC Reef, who spotted her as she was sailing towards Morocco, reports The Sun. The crew took her on board the cargo ship on April 15 at 5:30 pm, nearly a full day later. She was then admitted to the hospital in Faro, the capital of the Algarve.

Erica is currently recovering. "She’s doing well, her condition is stable and she’s not dehydrated," says Horacio Guerreiro, director of the clinic. "[...] She is accompanied by her mother. I don’t know when she’ll be able to leave, but maybe in 24 or 48 hours if all goes well." However, he raises a concern: "At this stage, the most delicate thing is to see if her kidney function can be maintained, as hydration can cause problems in terms of brain function, because sometimes, if you force the intake of fluids, there can be situations of cerebral edema, but we don’t expect it."