The sailboat of the circumnavigation expedition of the Tomsk Regional Branch of the Russian Geographical Society reached Socotra Island on April 14. Thus, the participants of the voyage, after the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, conquered the Indian Ocean. The crossing turned out to be trying: about halfway through the journey, Stanislav Berezkin, the ship's captain, needed emergency medical assistance. The head of the expedition, Evgeny Kovalevsky, told readers of the website of the Russian Geographical Society about how the situation developed.
The circumnavigators left the Maldives on April 3. On the same day, Evgeny Kovalevsky, Stanislav Berezkin, and Filip Alekseev took part in another "Lesson from the Ocean", which this time was dedicated to Antarctica.
The expedition was 1,260 miles from the shores of Socotra Island. The crew expected to cover them in three weeks. However, circumstances forced them to hurry up with finishing the voyage.
At first, sailing proceeded in the usual rhythm. However, on April 4, Stanislav Berezkin felt unwell. His temperature rose, he started feeling nauseous and weak. It was assumed that these were the consequences of heat stroke, poisoning, or a virus caught in the Maldives. Something similar happened to the captain once before in Tahiti. On April 6, Berezkin's condition deteriorated sharply.
“Stas is very ill. He can't even sit anymore, only lie down. His heart is aching, his legs can't hold him. His ears are ringing. He’s weak and short of breath. His toes and hands are numb," recalls Evgeny Kovalevsky.
The crew contacted Yulia Kalyuzhnaya, the head of the expedition's coastal headquarters in Tomsk. After talking on a satellite phone, it was decided to request help from everyone who was nearby.
“To the north, about 150 miles away, there is a sea caravan route, on which there are many ships. You can report a serious problem on the radio but not send an SOS signal. This is done if there is a technical problem or something has happened to the crew. In our case, it is ‘medical pan pan’. We agree that Yulia is going to consult with doctors. Tomsk intensive care specialist San Sanych determines from the symptoms that there is a 90% chance Stas is having a heart attack. Filip's brother, a doctor from Moscow, confirms the suspicion. We can't say more precisely yet," Kovalevsky explained.
There is a US warship 300 miles away from the circumnavigators. There is a medical center and a helicopter on board. If you send an SOS signal, it can come to the rescue. However, such a signal is given only in case of a threat to the vessel – the poor condition of a crew member is not a sufficient reason for it.
“We decide that if Stas gets really sick, we will turn on an emergency buoy: a distress signal. We are still looking for other options. Yulia contacts the Russian ambassador to Saudi Arabia who also oversees relations with Yemen. Our course is to Djibouti. Djibouti is 1,500 miles away. The island of Socotra is located en-route, this is Yemen. It's 800 miles away. Yulia informs us that the ambassador has agreed with the governor of the island that due to the medical danger we will be allowed in without visas. They are ready to diagnose and treat Stas at a local clinic," Kovalevsky said.
All day long, the circumnavigators radio for ships that they do not see but whose presence they hope for somewhere nearby. Now Evgeny Kovalevsky and Filip Alekseev take turns keeping watch.
On April 11, it was decided to make satellite phone calls to organizations that control the passage of ships through the Gulf of Aden. It turned out to be the right decision. Despite the same response from all operators that "this service is not intended for this," they promise to spread information about the heart attack of the captain of a Russian sailboat.
During the day, a Japanese ship connects with the circumnavigation. Negotiations are going on for about two hours. The ships, which are about 200 miles apart, are beginning to converge.
On April 12, at about 2 a.m., Filip Alekseev noticed the lights of a ship in the darkness of the ocean. He was contacted by radio. It turned out that this was the warship with all modern medical care capabilities.
For an hour, Evgeny Kovalevsky was answering the questions of the ship's doctor on the radio: how old the captain was, male or female, what nationality, his symptoms, if there were weapons on board, whether there were prohibited items. The circumnavigation sailboat reported its course.
In the morning, the Japanese asked the circumnavigators to drift. At dawn, a large warship approached the sailboat, from which two inflatable boats were lowered.
“There are eight people in each, equipped like special forces: helmets with night vision cameras, bulletproof vests, weapons, spare magazines, grenades. I've only seen this in the movies. We were dumbstruck. On the approach, both boats parted and approached our sailboat from both sides. We realized that the Japanese naval special forces are acting according to the instructions, because this is pirate territory. Pirates are cunning, they are capable of any tricks. The military must make sure that we are not pirates," Kovalevsky said.
One of the Japanese boats moored from the stern, the second stood nearby. The crews took the circumnavigation sailboat under surveillance, and five military men went on deck. After the inspection, the commander of the group gave a signal, and only then two doctors appeared on the ship, who examined Stanislav Berezkin, who was lying on the deck.
“They took blood from a vein for tests. An express test was immediately performed. A cardiogram was taken. They were doing something else, I did not follow all the procedures, because at that time I was talking with a fighter whom I identified as the commander. He was on the radio all the time reporting something to someone higher up. The commander asked me questions, asked for passports, and they were photographed. The Japanese filmed almost everything on video and took photos," Kovalevsky noted.
The circumnavigators told the commander of the special forces group about their journey and presented all the soldiers and doctors with expedition calendars. The general tension has noticeably subsided. The Japanese even smiled, although it was not easy to see it under the masks.
“Finally, the Japanese doctor called me over and showed me the text in English on the phone: ‘There is no heart attack.’ I loudly exclaimed ‘banzai’ – the only Japanese word I knew. The Japanese nodded approvingly and smiled again under the masks," Kovalevsky added.
The doctors promised to conduct an additional test and consultations on their ship, and then transfer the information to the sailboat. The Marines quickly boarded the boat, helped the doctors lower the equipment and set sail.
“We breathed a sigh of relief. There is no heart attack. Maybe Stas was overcome by nervous exhaustion due to the extreme stress that we had been experiencing for many months," Kovalevsky said.
About 40 minutes later, the doctor radioed that additional test had not found any fundamental deviations, and offered medicines which were soon delivered to the sailboat from a warship. In return, the circumnavigators handed over five expedition crew bandanas and two drawings by Filip Alekseev with views of the Indian Ocean as thanks. The works of the Russian artist aroused admiration among the Japanese.
“We decide to go to Socotra, show Stas to the doctors, and also give him the opportunity to recover. Yulia agreed on this opportunity with the Russian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and he agreed on assistance with the governor of the island," added Evgeny Kovalevsky.
Off the coast of Socotra. Photos of the expedition participants
On the afternoon of April 14, the sailboat approached the coast of Socotra and moved along beautiful sandy hills and brown rocks until the evening. At about 17:00 local time, they anchored in front of the city center of Hadibu. Stanislav Berezkin was immediately sent to the outpatient clinic, where he spent about a day. The suspicion of a heart attack was not confirmed. According to the preliminary diagnosis, the problem is related to the spine.
The crew is going to sail to the Red Sea soon and act according to previous plans, despite the difficult situation in the region.
Stanislav Berezkin being examined by doctors at an outpatient clinic. Photos of the expedition participants
“It happened. We sailed across the Indian Ocean. All three oceans of the route of our circumnavigation have been crossed: the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian,” said Evgeny Kovalevsky.
We wish good luck and health to the brave circumnavigators! The journey continues.
On July 1, 2021, Siberian travelers Evgeny Kovalevsky and Stanislav Berezkin set off along the route of the first Russian round-the-world expeditions of the 19th century: Ivan Kruzenshtern’s (1803-1806), Yuri Lisyansky’s (1803-1806), Otto Kotzebue’s (1815-1818, 1823-1826), Vasily Golovnin’s (1817-1819), Fedor Litke’s (1826-1829), Faddey Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev’s (1819-1921). The international project of the Tomsk Regional Branch of the Russian Geographical Society "Following the paths of Russian explorers" is dedicated to the 250th birthday anniversary of Krusenstern and the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica by Russian sailors. These events for a long time determined Russia's leadership in the development of the oceans and the discovery of new lands. You can learn more about the project and provide all possible assistance in its implementation on the website of the expedition.