The Portuguese Navy rescued four crew members on the 27th after their vessel suffered engine failure 130 nautical miles (240 kilometers) north of Madeira. The alert was received at 11:45 pm on Sunday, the 26th of April 26, through the Funchal Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Subcentre (MRSC Funchal), which reported that the vessel was stranded and had no drinking water on board. The patrol ship NRP Zaire and a Portuguese Air Force aircraft were sent to the area to carry out the operation. The aircraft located the vessel first, allowing the NRP Zaire to reach it and recover the four men. The crew consisted of three Spanish and one Serbian, and all were physically well and did not need medical assistance. The vessel was described as a speedboat without any identification, and it was towed to Madeira before being seized as a precautionary measure. The crew members were then handed over to the competent authorities, with the local Command of the Maritime Police of Funchal handling the next steps.
