Six Missing after Yacht Capsizes off Mediah/Kenitra Harbour, Morocco

Created by sue. Last modified on 2009-01-26 11:21:12
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Countries: Morocco

Associated Press
2009-01-22 03:05 AM

First Reported 24 January, further information received 26 January.

Germany's Foreign Ministry says six people are missing after a sailboat capsized at the entrance to the harbour of Mediah/Kenitra, on the coast of Morocco.

The ministry says a 19-year-old German woman managed to swim to shore after the accident and was taken to a hospital. She was released to the German Embassy in Morocco on Wednesday.

Morocco's official MAP news agency reported that a Royal Gendarmerie helicopter had searched in vain on Tuesday night at the accident site - the entrance to the Port of Mahdia, near Kenitra - but bad weather and rough seas made a sea search impossible. MAP said the "Taube," sailboat capsized in the rough seas. The six missing people include three Germans.

Steve Olson, who lives nearby, visited the accident site at the entrance to the Mediah/Kenitra Harbour over the weekend and reported; "We were astonished by the waves entering between the breakwaters; they were easily 3 to 4 meters, some of them breaking. It was high tide when we visited. Just as we started to leave, the ebb tide started to flow, and the swells started to break continuously in the channel.

We talked to several locals about the incident. Apparently the "Taube" was trying to make a night entrance and was capsized; some fisherman who live on the north breakwater pulled the German girl out of the water. Another girl was reported seen in the water, but could not be reached. Conditions were said to be worse that what we observed. Frankly, I don't know how anybody could have pulled themselves up between the coarse angular boulders that consititue the breakwater in those waves. The locals told us also that 8 to 10 people, mostly local fisherman, die there every year.

The Kenitra/Mediah entrance is a tidal river mouth. At the height of ebb or flood tide, there is a strong 3-4 knot current flowing out or in. This undoubtedly has a dramatic affect on the shape of the waves entering the channel".

It appears that the "Taube" had left from Larache, about 60 miles up the coast. During the night of the accident, the wind was reportedly blowing up to force 8. Perhaps the crew were seasick and wanted to get into harbour so chose the first harbour, Kenitra. The crew were obviously unfamiliar with the Morocco coast, and Kenitra was the worst choice they could have made.

Steve advises:

"The entrance of the Kenitra/Mediah (tidal river) channel is extremely dangerous when a strong swell is running and should NOT be attempted. The nearest all-weather port with a safe entry is in Mohamedia, about 60 miles to the south. Any entry into Rabat (also a tidal river channel) when a strong swell is running, should be verified with the local marina and an escort should be requested."