Speaking to Lusa, Fernando Pereira da Fonseca, spokesperson and public relations for the Navy and the National Maritime Authority, said that two crew members were injured, so they were taken to hospital.

The distress alert was received at the Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) at 04.14 a.m. and the accident occurred 56km west of Póvoa de Varzim, in the district of Porto.

According to Fonseca, the fishing vessel "Foz da Nazaré" participated in the operation, which headed for the place where it found "the French-flagged overturned trimaran with the five crew members in the water.”

"The first rescue actions were carried out until the arrival of a helicopter EH-101 from the Portuguese Air Force, which rescued the five people, all-male, four Frenchmen and one Belgian," he added.

There was also a boat from the Póvoa de Varzim and Vila do Conde Rescue Station.

The two crew members were transported to Barreiro hospital, since the helicopter that participated in the search operation belongs to the Montijo Air Base, according to the Navy spokesperson.

The rescue operation ended around 6.18 a.m. when the last crew member was rescued.