An Israel Navy missile boat picked up the mayday signal sent out by the operator of the Odelia, a 12-meter yacht that was rented by an Israeli family of six that was traveling from Haifa to Cyprus. The mayday signal was heard by the captain of the Romach missile boat on Monday night, learning the yacht was “filling with water” near S. Lebanon, in international waters.

The family was permitted to board the missile boat as naval engineers boarded the yacht in an effort to assist the repair effort. The yacht’s owner was notified and he too headed to rendezvous with naval boat as they worked together to get the boat up and running.

Once it was determined the boat was seaworthy, albeit not fully operational the family began heading back to Haifa very slowly, ‘at a crawl’. The vessel arrived at the Port of Haifa on Tuesday afternoon, with all on board reported to be safe and sound.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)