Two French men missing after catamaran found empty off Tangier

Two French nationals have been reported missing after encountering «difficulties» aboard their catamaran, Stella, which was later found empty off the coast of Tangier.

Citing AFP on Monday, the National Maritime Rescue Coordination Center and the father of one of the passengers said an initial distress alert had been issued on Sunday at around 2:15 a.m. A life raft was later found about five kilometers off the coast, but without the two men aboard. According to the same sources, the cause of the incident remains unknown.

The catamaran was towed to the port of Asilah, while search operations are now focused on locating the dinghy, «equipped with an outboard motor, which the crew also had at its disposal», the sources said.

Adrien Danzé, the father of one of the missing passengers, said a second distress message indicated that «the crew was leaving the boat for the dinghy».

The incident recalls a similar tragedy in November 2012, when the catamaran Love-Love sank off Saïdia during a storm, leaving four French nationals dead and a fifth missing.