The crew of BBC TORNIO, a multipurpose heavy-lift vessel in the BBC Chartering fleet, rescued three sailors from a distressed yacht on 17 October 2026 after several attempts to approach the sailing vessel and bring its occupants aboard.
The BBC TORNIO yacht rescue began at 06:05 UTC, when the cargo vessel received a distress call from the yacht, according to an account of the incident provided to HMT News.
Within minutes of receiving the call, the master arrived on the bridge, and BBC TORNIO changed course towards the yacht to provide assistance.
The cargo vessel reached the yacht at 07:50 UTC. However, the crew’s initial attempts to approach the sailing vessel were unsuccessful.
Rather than continuing the unsuccessful approach, BBC TORNIO maintained a safe distance while the crew reassessed the situation and prepared another attempt.
At 11:00 UTC, the crew began a renewed approach. Several additional attempts were required before all three sailors were successfully brought aboard the cargo vessel.
Following the rescue, BBC TORNIO resumed its voyage towards Montreal, Canada, with the three rescued sailors aboard.
The available account did not specify the yacht’s name, its exact position at the time of the distress call or the circumstances that led to the emergency. Details of the weather and sea conditions during the operation were also not provided.
BBC TORNIO is a 2025-built multipurpose heavy-lift vessel registered under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda. The vessel has a summer deadweight capacity of 12,400 tonnes.
According to BBC Chartering’s official fleet specifications, the ship is 147 metres long and 22.8 metres wide.
It is equipped with two 250-tonne Liebherr cranes, offering a combined lifting capacity of up to 500 tonnes. The vessel also has a cargo hold capacity of approximately 17,600 cubic metres.
The ship is part of BBC Chartering‘s F500-type multipurpose heavy-lift fleet, which is equipped for general cargo, breakbulk and project cargo operations.
The account of the incident thanked the master and crew of BBC TORNIO for their response and confirmed that all three sailors had been brought aboard safely.
