A solo sailor attempting to sail across the Atlantic has been rescued a fourth time after he was knocked unconscious following a fall.

Trevor Wilson activated his EPIRB when he gained consciousness and a rescue swimmer took him to a nearby hospital.

The 72-year-old’s attempts to sail across the Atlantic have all ended in a rescue. The first time, in 2000, Wilson’s rudder broke and he lost his yacht. The next attempt just two years later saw him caught in a hurricane, breaking three ribs and losing another boat. He reached Brazil in his third try, but was hit by lightning during a storm and dismasted before his yacht sank.

Wilson, who was in the Merchant Navy, has always wanted to sail solo across the Atlantic. Speaking to the Dorset Echo ahead of his fourth attempt, Wilson said: “I don’t feel I’m unlucky, in fact I feel very lucky indeed because I’m still here.”

“I’ve always thought the greatest risk in life is not to take one,” he added.

Learn how to cope with a dismasting and sinking with Yachting Monthly’s Crash Test Boat series.