A major search operation began on Monday night after the sailor sent out a distress call via VHF radio
A sailor was rescued from
his dismasted trimaran in the early hours of Tuesday morning after sending out
a distress call on Monday night.
A major search for the man, who’s in his 50’s, began around 5pm after a merchant ship reported a VHF radio message of a
trimaran in difficulty and at risk of capsizing in the English Channel.
Coastguard rescue
helicopters from Solent and Portland, along with two lifeboats and a navy
vessel searched for the trimaran, finding it 18 miles south of Portland at around 4am on Tuesday.
Rescue crews were
unable to make any further contact with the vessel until it was discovered by
HMS St Albans.
A Maritime and
Coastguard Agency spokesperson said: “Coastguards coordinating the search for a
trimaran in the channel overnight were contacted by the British naval vessel
HMS St Albans shortly before 4am, reporting they were standing by a dismasted
trimaran with one person visible on top of the damaged vessel.
“The RNLI all weather
lifeboat from Weymouth went to the scene and has recovered a man from the
damaged vessel and it is reported that there was only one person on board.”
Due to poor
conditions, HMS St Albans was unable to use one of its smaller rescue boats to
pick up the man, instead waiting for the Weymouth lifeboat.
Following the rescue,
the man was taken to hospital by ambulance. He didn’t suffer any serious
injuries but was extremely cold, having been stranded on his boat for 11 hours.
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