On the afternoon of October 18, 1945, the small coastal vessel Voador was sailing from Horta to Cais do Pico, transporting heavy construction materials destined for roadworks on Pico Island.

On board were nine crew members and one passenger.

🌊 The Tragedy Unfolds

As the Voador approached the area near Cachorro, roughly 3.5 miles northwest of the port of Madalena—and about halfway between Madalena and Cais do Pico—conditions worsened.

Wind began to pick up. Swells hit the boat from the side, destabilizing it.

One crew member later recalled:

"As the boat ran along a wave and tilted slightly, the cargo—stacked high on deck—shifted to leeward. The boat immediately dipped her port bow into the water and never came back up."

📉 Reports of the Disaster

The local newspaper Correio da Horta headlined the incident as a "maritime tragedy", while O Telégrafo called it simply:

"One more disaster."

"On the 18th of this month, tragedy struck again—this time a coastal vessel from Cais do Pico was lost at sea. The boat was carrying iron cargo. Although the weather wasn’t particularly bad, waves made maneuvering difficult. The vessel took on water and sank.

Three crew members perished, the sole providers for their families. The rest were rescued by the motorboat Maria Otília, commanded by Captain Manuel Alves—better known as Mestre Simão."

The Heroic Rescue by Maria Utília

At that time, the lancha Maria Utília was performing its usual afternoon route between Faial and Pico. Having just departed from Horta, it was nearing Madalena when passengers and crew spotted the Voador in distress.

Despite the distance, Captain Manuel Alves (Mestre Simão) acted immediately. He had sensed that the Voador was navigating unsafely and had a strong feeling that something was wrong. He disembarked all passengers at Madalena, then sailed swiftly toward Cachorro.

Upon arrival, seven survivors were rescued:

• Captain Manuel Soares
• Five sailors
• One passenger — Manuel Emílio Herz, a businessman from Cais do Pico

The engineer and two sailors did not survive.

⚖️ A Twist of Fate

According to historian Fernando Faria Ribeiro, a local merchant from Candelária named Manuel Francisco de Matos had planned to board the Voador for Cais do Pico. But when he saw how heavily loaded the boat was, he changed his mind.

He opted instead to travel aboard the safer Maria Utília to Madalena, and continue the journey by road.

By doing so, he unknowingly escaped death — for the second time.

Back in 1910, when the vessel O Amigo do Povo sank, Matos had also narrowly avoided tragedy. His parents had chosen to board without him due to bad weather and an overcrowded deck.

"He waited for them in Madalena… but they never arrived."

His parents were among the 28 victims of that earlier shipwreck.

🕊️ Remembering the Lost

Although seven lives were saved, the three men who perished in the sinking of the Voador left behind grieving families and a scar on the tight-knit maritime communities of the Azores.

This story is a somber reminder of the hazards of island life—and of the quiet heroism found in those like Mestre Simão, who chose action over hesitation.

“The sea gives and the sea takes—but sometimes, someone brave steps in between.”

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