Following an alert received at 1h25 pm, through the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre of Lisbon, with about 40 people on board, had a water leaking on board and was at risk of sinking, elements of the Local Command of the Maritime Police of Portimão and the Ferragudo Lifeboat Station were immediately deployed to the scene. Several tourist boats also diverged to the site.

According to the Maritime Police website, on arrival at the scene they found the victims in the water, with life jackets on, having been promptly rescued with the support of a tourist boat that was nearby and the boat of the Ferragudo Lifeboat Station. The victims, a total of 36 people, including four children, were then transported to the marina of Portimão, where were waiting for workers of the INEM, the Voluntary Fire Department of Portimão, the Voluntary Bombeiros of Lagoa, the Civil Protection and the Portuguese Red Cross.

The victims, who showed some signs of hypothermia, were then assisted and assessed by the medical teams on site, without the need for further medical assistance.

The injured vessel was later removed from the scene by a company hired by the owner.

At the scene were several elements of the Local Command of the Portimão Maritime Police, the Ferragudo Life-Saving Station, the INEM, the Portuguese Red Cross, the Regional Command of Civil Protection and the Municipal Civil Protection System of Portimão, as well as the Portimão Volunteer Fire Department and the Lagoa Volunteer Bombeiros.

As for the cause of the accident, The Portugal News contacted Portimão Maritime Police, who said they had opened a maritime accident investigation process to find out what happened. For now, there is no evidence about what caused the accident.