Elderly Pilot Falls Overboard While Boarding Port of Santos Ship, Emerges Unharmed

The president of São Paulo Pilotage, Fábio Mello Fontes, aged 84, underwent a harrowing trial when he plunged into the sea while boarding a ship at the Port of Santos on the São Paulo coast. Despite coming perilously close to the vessel’s propeller, he emerged with only minor injuries, dubbing the incident a ‘shipwrecked’ situation.

The happening occurred around 1 am on Sunday (21) during the early hours. Fábio Mello took to social media to announce that he had fallen after losing his balance on a ladder while boarding the ship. He emphasized that he was wearing a life vest, which promptly inflated upon entering the water.

The rescue operation lasted approximately eight minutes, as reported by the president of São Paulo Pilotage. Amidst the darkness of the night, he was spotted with the aid of spotlights directed by the rescue team. “Their vigilance kept track of me,” he recounted.

Fábio recounted being rescued by a sailor on a speedboat, which he described as being quite unstable. “That’s why my rescue was somewhat tense,” he added. After grabbing hold of a croque (a type of hook), he was pulled to the stern of the vessel.

Continuing with his duties after the ordeal, Fábio emphasized that despite being drenched, he resumed boarding the ship and completed his task. “I showed up at the Command Bridge, shivering and completely soaked, and fulfilled my responsibilities. It was the least I could do. Falling into the sea is an occupational hazard,” he affirmed.

Reflecting on the aftermath, he mentioned that he only began to feel discomfort once he arrived home. “I experienced some pain in my right hand and left knee. There was also a minor abrasion on my right side. But during the incident, I felt no pain whatsoever! Adrenaline kicked in,” he explained.

Source: G1

Click here to read the original news text: https://g1.globo.com/sp/santos-regiao/porto-mar/noticia/2024/04/22/pratico-de-84-anos-cai-no-mar-ao-tentar-embarcar-em-navio-e-sobrevive-situacao-de-naufrago.ghtml

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