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Families of missing British yachtsmen appeal to US to resume rescue efforts MPs back calls for US to resume search for missing British yachtsmen
(35 minutes later)
Relatives and colleagues of four Britons who went missing when a yacht capsized in the Atlantic Ocean have called for the US authorities to renew efforts to find them. Two MPs are backing calls for the US and Canadian authorities to relaunch a search for four British yachtsmen who have been missing since Friday after their boat capsized in the Atlantic ocean.
The crew of the Cheeki Rafiki, a 40ft Beneteau performance racer, ran into difficulties 620 miles east of Cape Cod in Massachusetts on Thursday while returning to the UK from a regatta in Antigua. The crew of the Cheeki Rafiki, including its 21-year-old skipper Andrew Bridge, one Britain's youngest star yachtsmen, ran into difficulties more than 600 miles east of Cape Cod in Massachusetts on Thursday while returning to the UK from a regatta in Antigua.
Contact with the ship's experienced captain, Andrew Bridge, 21, and crew members James Male, 23, Steve Warren, 52, and Paul Goslin, 56, was lost in the early hours of Friday while they diverted to the Azores. Contact with the crew, who also included James Male, 23, Steve Warren, 52, and Paul Goslin, 56, was lost in the early hours of Friday while they diverted to the Azores.
US and Canadian aircraft, assisted by three merchant vessels, looked for them throughout Friday and Saturday but called off the search on Sunday at 5am local time amid treacherous conditions. On Saturday, a cargo vessel which was helping with the search spotted and photographed an overturned hull which matched the description of the Cheeki Rafiki but reported no signs of people on board or a life raft.
An area of 4,000 sq miles was scanned for the vessel's two personal location GPS beacons until no more transmissions were received from the small devices, which have a short battery life. US and Canadian aircraft, assisted by three merchant vessels, looked for the missing Britons throughout Friday and Saturday but called off the search on Sunday at 5am local time amid treacherous weather conditions.
On Saturday, a cargo vessel that was helping with the search spotted and photographed an overturned hull that matched the description of the Cheeki Rafiki but reported no signs of people on board or a life raft. Caroline Nokes, the Conservative MP for Romsey and Southampton North, said she had been told by the Foreign Office that it was "investigating every avenue it can do" to try to encourage the US coastguard to act for longer.
Bridge's aunt, Georgina Bridge, said the family was hopeful the US coastguard would resume the search. She told the BBC: "They [the families] are desperately keen that the search be resumed, that although conditions are not good they are better than they were when the search started.
"So they are keen to emphasise the life raft could well have been deployed, that the men are trained to survive this sort of eventuality and so really they are beseeching the US coastguard to carry on with that search and just give them a bit more of a chance."
The Respect party MP for Bradford West, George Galloway, took to Twitter to circulate an online petition calling for the search to resume.
Bridge's aunt, Georgina Bridge, said the family was hopeful the US coastguard would give resume the search.
She told Sky News: "Obviously the family are really concerned that the search has been suspended and we are really hoping that it will be resumed. We are holding out great hope that Andrew and the guys on board Cheeki Rafiki will be found.She told Sky News: "Obviously the family are really concerned that the search has been suspended and we are really hoping that it will be resumed. We are holding out great hope that Andrew and the guys on board Cheeki Rafiki will be found.
"We are hopeful that they were able to launch a life raft and that they are still on board that, so we would just really like the search to be resumed.""We are hopeful that they were able to launch a life raft and that they are still on board that, so we would just really like the search to be resumed."
Speaking to the Times, James Male's father Graham said: "We just want them to continue searching."Speaking to the Times, James Male's father Graham said: "We just want them to continue searching."
The crew had joked on social media about their lengthening beards and the food they were eating on their journey back to Southampton.The crew had joked on social media about their lengthening beards and the food they were eating on their journey back to Southampton.
A blog posted to Facebook on Tuesday, one of their last, read: "And yesterday we did it … we turned east for home, completing our first 1,000 miles [which] was celebrated with a release of a cherished beach ball with a note inside, I hope it doesn't get home before us! A blog posted to Facebook on Tuesday, one of their last, read: "And yesterday we did it … we turned east for home, completing our first 1,000 miles [which] was celebrated with a release of a cherished beach ball with a note inside, I hope it doesn't get home before us!
"We are already thinking of home and the ones we love and miss, you know who you are!""We are already thinking of home and the ones we love and miss, you know who you are!"
Bridge, who is from Farnham in Surrey, was being paid by the Southampton-based yacht training and charter company Stormforce Coaching for his role as captain, a spokeswoman for the firm said. Bridge, who is from Farnham in Surrey, was being paid by Southampton-based yacht training and charter company Stormforce Coaching for his role as captain, a spokeswoman for the firm said.
He had taken part in Antigua Week together with Goslin, from West Camel, Somerset, Warren, from Bridgwater, also in Somerset, and Male, from Southampton, all described as "very experienced offshore yachtsmen".He had taken part in Antigua Week together with Goslin, from West Camel, Somerset, Warren, from Bridgwater, also in Somerset, and Male, from Southampton, all described as "very experienced offshore yachtsmen".
The director of Stormforce, Doug Innes, said the yacht had first started taking on water on Thursday but the skipper was in contact and the crew were keeping the situation stable. The director of Stormforce, Doug Innes, said the yacht had first started taking on water on Thursday but the skipper was in contact and the crew were keeping the situation stable.
"Although the search efforts co-ordinated by Boston were exceptional we are devastated that the search has now been called off so soon," Innes said. "Although the search efforts co-ordinated by Boston were exceptional we are devastated that the search has now been called off so soon," Innes said.
"Our thoughts are with the four yachtsmen and their families and we hope and pray for them all.""Our thoughts are with the four yachtsmen and their families and we hope and pray for them all."
Sailing experts questioned why no one on the Greek-registered 1,000ft container ship Maersk Kure had tried to get down to the yacht when it spotted the Cheeki Rafiki's hull, which appeared to be missing its keel.Sailing experts questioned why no one on the Greek-registered 1,000ft container ship Maersk Kure had tried to get down to the yacht when it spotted the Cheeki Rafiki's hull, which appeared to be missing its keel.
Andrew Pindar, who runs the GAC Pindar racing team, said crew members could still have been trapped inside the Cheeki Rafiki's hull at that point. Andrew Pindar, who runs the GAC Pindar racing team, said crew members could still have been trapped inside the Cheeki Rafiki's hull at that point.
But Petty Officer Rob Simpson of the US coastguard claimed the ship "lacked the manoeuvrability, capacity and ability to help". But Petty Officer Rob Simpson of the US coastguard claimed that the ship "lacked the manoeuvrability, capacity and ability to help".
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are aware of a missing yacht off the east coast of the USA with four British nationals on board. We are in continual contact with the US coastguard and are providing consular assistance to the families."A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are aware of a missing yacht off the east coast of the USA with four British nationals on board. We are in continual contact with the US coastguard and are providing consular assistance to the families."