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Debris may have been found in search for missing yacht Debris may have been found in search for missing yacht
(35 minutes later)
Debris has been found in the area of the Atlantic Ocean where the British yacht Cheeki Rafiki went missing.Debris has been found in the area of the Atlantic Ocean where the British yacht Cheeki Rafiki went missing.
The captain of a charter yacht taking part in the search told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that details of two suspect objects spotted in the northern search area had been passed on to the US Coast Guard. The captain of a charter vessel taking part in the search told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that details of two suspect objects spotted in the northern search area had been passed on to the US coastguard.
The 40ft Cheeki Rafiki was sailing back to the UK from an Antigua regatta when it got into trouble and started taking on water 620 miles east of Cape Cod last Thursday. The 40ft (12-metre) Cheeki Rafiki was sailing back to the UK from an Antigua regatta when it got into trouble and started taking on water 620 miles east of Cape Cod last Thursday.
Its four crew – Andrew Bridge, 22, from Farnham in Surrey, James Male, 23, from Southampton, Steve Warren, 52, from Bridgwater, Somerset, and Paul Goslin, 56, from West Camel, Somerset – have not been seen or heard from since the early hours of Friday morning. Its crew of four – Andrew Bridge, 22, from Farnham in Surrey, James Male, 23, from Southampton, Steve Warren, 52, from Bridgwater, Somerset, and Paul Goslin, 56, from West Camel, Somerset – have not been seen or heard from since the early hours of Friday morning.
Patrick Michel, skipper of the Malisi, described the two objects which were seen within hour of each other. Speaking from the boat he said: "We saw, very briefly, a wooden plank of about 1m long, 20/30cm wide, with a few holes drilled in it. That could be part of the floorboard of the saloon or cabin, or possibly the centrepiece of the saloon table. Another [item] that we saw was a white foam or plastic floating piece 40cm by 20cm roughly. This could be anything, but the grouping of these [pieces of] debris in the northern part of the search area could indicate that they are recent." Patrick Michel, skipper of the Malisi, described the two objects which were seen within hour of each other. Speaking from the boat he said: "We saw, very briefly, a wooden plank of about 1m long, 20-30cm wide, with a few holes drilled in it. That could be part of the floorboard of the saloon or cabin, or possibly the centrepiece of the saloon table. Another [item] that we saw was a white foam or plastic floating piece 40cm by 20cm roughly. This could be anything, but the grouping of these [pieces of] debris in the northern part of the search area could indicate that they are recent."
Asked how confident he was that the debris was from the Cheeki Rafiki, Michel replied "I'm not. I'm just reporting to the US coast guard the position. Only the owner or somebody familiar with the boat could confirm if that debris is part of the boat or not." Asked how confident he was that the debris was from the Cheeki Rafiki, Michel replied: "I'm not. I'm just reporting to the US coastguard the position. Only the owner or somebody familiar with the boat could confirm if that debris is part of the boat or not."
He added that the debris was "not covered in vegetation or barnacles, so it does indicate it was recent".He added that the debris was "not covered in vegetation or barnacles, so it does indicate it was recent".
Michel said he passed on a description of the debris and the time and location it was spotted to the US coastguard.Michel said he passed on a description of the debris and the time and location it was spotted to the US coastguard.
The US coast guard acknowledged the report by email, Michel said. The US coastguard acknowledged the report by email, he said.
Michel said he and two other volunteers on board the Malisi have been scanning the search area for three days, with one crew member looking left, another right, while a third steers the boat. Michel added that he and two other volunteers on board the Malisi have been scanning the search area for three days, with one crew member looking left, another right, while a third steers the boat.
The US Coast Guard called off the search for the men on Sunday, but resumed it after a petition backed by politicians, celebrities and leading sailors attracted 200,000 signatures. The US coastguard called off the search for the men on Sunday, but resumed it after a petition backed by politicians, celebrities and leading sailors attracted 200,000 signatures.
Kay Coombes, Warren's sister, welcomed the reports that debris had been spotted.Kay Coombes, Warren's sister, welcomed the reports that debris had been spotted.
She told BBC Breakfast: "I think they've got a bit more of a clue now so hopefully the coastguard can plot that and get the ships to that area, so fingers crossed they can start searching there." She told BBC Breakfast programme: "I think they've got a bit more of a clue now so hopefully the coastguard can plot that and get the ships to that area, so fingers crossed they can start searching there."
She said the families of the missing sailors were still clinging on to hope, and thanked Michel for taking the time to search and the coastguard for redoubling its efforts.She said the families of the missing sailors were still clinging on to hope, and thanked Michel for taking the time to search and the coastguard for redoubling its efforts.
"They are still out there, there's more resources being put into it, so we're still hopeful at this point," she said."They are still out there, there's more resources being put into it, so we're still hopeful at this point," she said.
She added: "We have got to stay positive. We are still hopeful, we are clinging on to that. We are just keeping going. It is exhausting now, this has been going on for days. We are mentally exhausted, physically exhausted, I think we are running on coffee now rather than anything else, but we are still going, we are still there for him." "We have got to stay positive. We are still hopeful, we are clinging on to that. We are just keeping going. It is exhausting now, this has been going on for days. We are mentally exhausted, physically exhausted, I think we are running on coffee now rather than anything else, but we are still going, we are still there for him."
Coombes said relatives of the missing sailors were meeting officials in London today. Coombes said relatives of the missing men were meeting officials in London on Thursday.