Saved by a Fervent “Hail Mary” (II)

As he murmured the last words of his humble prayer his eye was attracted to a small spot between two waves. With little conviction, he asked the pilot to head the ship in that direction. As they made progress in the indicated direction, the crew's doubt turned into an insane kind of hope. Within no time, the reality was obvious; it really was the man they were looking for and he was still alive although he looked completely exhausted. The rescue went smoothly for these well-trained crew members: the helicopter hovered over head, a diver climbed down a rope ladder provided with a belted strap that he attached to the weak man's body. Then both men were hoisted together into the cockpit. Cadiou explained his story about how he discovered the man overboard to his comrades who did not dare to mock him. It was clear to everyone on board that the circumstances of this unbelievable happy ending were heaven-sent.