Dramatic Dénia rescue as electric sailboat belonging to Finnish couple is hauled from the water

An electric sailboat belonging to a Finnish couple has been hauled from the water at Dénia port after it dramatically overturned near the harbour entrance.

The vessel was lifted out using a crane on Friday, October 2, following an incident that triggered a major emergency response earlier in the week.

The recovery operation attracted attention from local residents, workers at Marina Dénia and members of the media, who watched from the breakwater as crews worked to bring the boat back onto dry land.

Electric boat overturned while the owners were ashore

The sailboat had been anchored outside the southern breakwater after the Finnish couple arrived in Dénia as part of an ambitious journey.

They are attempting to travel around 5,000 kilometres without using conventional fuel, instead relying on electricity generated by solar panels to power their vessel.

The couple had left the boat at anchor before travelling by kayak to the Dénia marina, where they spent the night at a hotel.

By the following day, however, the boat had overturned close to the harbour entrance.

The exact cause of the incident has not been definitively established. One possibility considered at the time was wave movement generated by a passing ferry.

Major emergency response launched

The overturned vessel initially raised serious concerns because there were fears that people could still be trapped inside.

A significant emergency operation was launched involving firefighters, Salvamento Marítimo and the Guardia Civil, with divers and a helicopter also deployed to inspect the area and the boat.

After searches were carried out, rescuers confirmed that there was nobody inside the vessel.

The boat’s owner was also confirmed to be safe on land, meaning the incident did not result in any reported injuries.

The response nevertheless highlighted the potential risks associated with an overturned vessel close to a busy port entrance.

Sailboat now out of the water

The recovery operation finally took place on Friday morning, when a crane was used to lift the boat from the water.

Once the vessel had been recovered, its owner inspected the damage and reportedly summed up its condition simply as “No work”.

The operation is not yet completely finished, however.

The boat’s batteries remain an important part of the recovery process and are expected to be removed from the port once weather conditions allow the work to continue.

The incident brings an unexpected interruption to the Finnish couple’s ambitious fuel-free journey, which was designed to demonstrate how far an electrically powered sailing vessel can travel using renewable energy.

For now, the focus in Dénia is on safely completing the recovery operation and dealing with the damaged boat and its batteries.