The Port of Lisbon Administration (APL), in close collaboration and coordination with the National Maritime Authority (AMN), has been developing a rigorous training program for its crews and harbor pilots to address emergency situations at sea and enhance their individual and collective safety. Following a significant investment in safety and protection equipment, a training program was developed with the support of the Institute of Lifesaving (ISN), the technical management body of the AMN, aimed not only at familiarizing individuals with the concepts and procedures to be followed but also providing hands-on experience at sea, with increasingly demanding drills for both individuals and teams.

Yesterday, March 6th, at 23:00 hours, an exercise was conducted off the coast of Cascais Bay where a simulated scenario of a crew member falling overboard from a pilot boat was enacted. Various available rescue resources in the vicinity of the incident were immediately activated, including the lifeboats from the Lisbon and Cascais Stations, as well as the APL's reserve pilot boat. The victim was recovered and transported to Cascais, where they received simulated specialized treatment and were then transferred to the hospital.

The entire rescue operation was coordinated by the Lisbon Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC Lisbon).

The exercise involved personnel from the Pilotage, Maritime Traffic Control, and Maritime Operations Departments of the APL, MRCC Lisbon, ISN, the Lisbon Port Captaincy, and the Cascais Port Captaincy, supported by two APL vessels, one ESV vessel from Cascais, and one ESV vessel from Lisbon.