The tragedy was narrowly avoided off Toulon (Var) this Friday morning.
The Charles-de-Gaulle aircraft carrier, which was training south of the Hyères Islands, collided with a sailboat.
Alone on board, the skipper was not injured but will remember his awakening offshore for a long time!
It was 7:30 am when the sailboat, flying the Polish flag and about ten meters long, crashed into the mastodon of the French Navy for an as yet undetermined reason.
"The Charles-de-Gaulle detected this sailboat late at a very short distance," says the office of the maritime prefecture in Toulon.
“Despite an emergency maneuver to avoid the boat, and in the absence of reaction from it, the collision occurred between the sailboat and the hull of the aircraft carrier.
Luckily, the impact was not frontal and only the mast of the boat broke.
The sailboat's hull held up well and the skipper escaped unscathed.
The aircraft carrier had signaled its presence
On site, rescuers from the aircraft carrier secured the sailboat in the midst of intense gusts of wind, then towed it to the nearest port, Hyères-les-Palmiers.
The captain of the vessel did not suffer any injuries.
Now the question of responsibilities arises.
"A technical investigation was carried out to clarify the circumstances of the accident," said an officer.
“At sea, one general rule counts: every effort must be made to avoid a collision.
The aircraft carrier had signaled its presence.
Despite its weight, 40,000 tonnes, the Charles-de-Gaulle has the capacity to turn quickly to avoid an obstacle.
But there, the distance was not sufficient.
"
