Heart-warming reunion for solo oarswoman and QM2’s Captain

Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2 was the setting for a heart-warming reunion this weekend, as solo rower Mylène Paquette took a trip on the liner which came to her rescue in mid-Atlantic.
It was back in September that Captain Kevin Oprey responded to an SOS call from the French-Canadian adventuress. She had set out from Halifax, Nova Scotia on July 6, heading for Lorient, in Brittany, but lost her sea anchor and a satellite phone when her boat was hit by a storm.
Queen Mary 2 greeted Mylène with three blasts on the ship’s whistle and slowly circled her boat to calm the water before watertight canisters containing the requested items were dropped into the sea.
There was fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, pastries, muesli, crackers, chocolate, bottled water and coffee, English tea, mint tea and hot chocolate sachets. But it was not possible to squeeze in one item that Mylène had also requested – a warm, dry blanket.
She went on to achieve her dream of becoming the first North American woman to row solo from Canada to France – after 10 capsizes, four broken oars and a total of 130 days at sea.
But there was still an outstanding matter to be addressed. This was remedied on Sunday 15 December when Captain Oprey and Mylène finally met face to face aboard Queen Mary 2 in Southampton and the Captain presented her with the missing blanket.
Captain Oprey, said: “We were happy to have given assistance to Mylène and helped her recover from the damage inflicted by the storm but at Cunard we like to finish the job which is why I was so keen to meet Mylène to congratulate her on her extraordinary feat – and to present her with the blanket!”
Mylène added: “An amazing year has been capped in terrific style for me. I have been assisted mid-Atlantic by the biggest ocean liner in the world and I have now been on board the ship and met a fellow seafarer to whom I owe a great deal.
“I’d like to thank Captain Oprey and Cunard for their wonderful assistance while I was rowing the Atlantic. This blanket represents the goodwill and spirit of kinship which helped me achieve my dream.”
SEE PICTURES on Captain Greybeard’s Facebook page.