By: Jomana Aly (@jomanaalyy)
Egyptian athletes and adventurers Omar Samra and Omar Nour were rescued last night after they went missing for 11 hours during their expidition to row over 5000 kilometers across the Atlantic Ocean.
It was posted on Facebook that Team O2 activated the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) on their ocean rowing boat at 9:35 am, after they were unable to contact the Atlantic Campaigns’ Duty Officers.
Two Atlantic Campaigns Support Yachts went to search for the two young men. The official Facebook page of the Atlantic Campaign announced at 21:30 GMT that Samra and Nour had been rescued.
Team O2 has been rowing since December 12, joining other athletes for what is dubbed as “the world’s toughest row.” They set out from the Canary Islands, and were aiming to reach Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua as part of the Atlantic Challenge.
Their final training before their adventure started was a 60-hour row in October off Gran Canaria, close to where the challenge kicked off.
Samra was the first Egyptian to climb Mount Everest and the 7 Summits when he scaled the highest mountain on each continent. He also skied to the North and South Pole. On his part, Nour, who once weighed 105 kilograms, and is diagnosed with diabetes, is now a professional triathlete and an advocate for an active, healthy life.
The row was to take place from San Sebastian de la Gomera in the Canary Islands to Nelson’s Dockyard English Harbor in Antigua. The Egyptian team started their journey on December 12, along with 28 other teams from 17 countries in the race.
U.K. rowers Chay Blyth and John Ridgway were the first to cross the Atlantic Ocean successfully in 1996. It was a 92-day battle against hurricanes, 50 foot waves and near starvation.