Senegalese wrestler Amanékh recounts six-day ordeal lost at sea

While fishing, his pirogue suffered an engine breakdown during a storm, leaving him adrift. He survived by collecting rainwater to drink, as he had previously resorted to drinking seawater. During his ordeal, his pirogue narrowly avoided a collision with a larger boat, saved only by a wave that shifted his vessel.

Amanékh recounted seeing at least eight boats that did not stop to help him, attributing their indifference to their work schedules. He was eventually rescued on a Sunday at 6 PM, off the coast of Conakry, by a small boat en route to Abidjan. He had almost given up hope when the boat, carrying an American and three Indians, found him.

Photos taken by one of the crew members were sent to the Senegalese National Navy, which then coordinated the final stages of his rescue. Amanékh expressed gratitude to the Senegalese Navy for their crucial role in bringing him safely back to shore after his six-day ordeal.