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Mayday alert sparks search in Channel Sailor rescued after Channel mayday
(35 minutes later)
An air and sea search was launched in the English Channel after a merchant ship reported hearing a mayday message. A sailor has been rescued by a lifeboat crew hours after becoming marooned on his yacht more than 18 miles out to sea in the Channel.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said it was contacted on Monday afternoon by the ship’s crew who had heard a mayday message on VHF radio from a trimaran vessel in difficulty. An RNLI lifeboat was dispatched once the coastguard and British Navy had located the trimaran, a multi-hulled boat, which had been battered and dismasted.
The message asked for urgent assistance and said the boat was at risk of capsizing. It reported the trimaran’s position in latitude and longitude to be 37 miles south of the Needles, off the Isle Of Wight. Coastguards co-ordinating the search for the trimaran in the Channel throughout Monday night were contacted by the British naval vessel HMS St Albans shortly before 4am reporting they were standing by the vessel nearly 18 miles south of Portland, with one person visible on top.
There was no subsequent contact from the boat. The RNLI all-weather lifeboat from Weymouth went to the scene and recovered the sailor, who is thought to have been the only person on board.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency Press Office: MAYDAY BROADCAST SPARKS SEARCH IN CHANNEL http://t.co/Isy8XTKERC The search began on Monday afternoon after a VHF radio mayday call was heard in the area. A full-scale air and sea search was launched in the English Channel based on the signal received by a merchant ship.
Coastguard rescue helicopters from Solent and Portland searched the area overnight along with RNLI lifeboats from Bembridge and Yarmouth. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said it was contacted at 4.50pm by the merchant ship’s crew. The mayday message had asked for urgent assistance and said the boat was at risk of capsizing. It reported the trimaran’s position in latitude and longitude to be 37 miles south of the Needles, off the Isle Of Wight.
A British naval vessel was assisting with the search and broadcasts were made to all vessels in the area. There had been no further contact from the stricken boat after that point.
There were winds of between force five and six from the west or south-west during Monday night. Coastguard rescue helicopters from Solent and Portland searched the area along with RNLI lifeboats from Bembridge and Yarmouth.
Search co-ordinators said they had not been notified of any overdue vessels but anyone with information about the possible vessel involved should call 999 and ask for the coastguard. There were winds of between force five and six from the west or south-west in the area the yacht was thought to have been travelling.