Latest news with #AtlanticMaritimePrefecture
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Yahoo
British sailor missing after his damaged yacht found off French coast
A British sailor is missing in the Bay of Biscay after his damaged yacht was found off the French coast. A search was launched for the 73-year-old on Saturday after a distress beacon was launched 50 miles west of Lacanau at around 3pm, according to the Atlantic Maritime Prefecture, a French government organisation. He had earlier told a nearby cargo ship he was safe and continuing on his way, after not responding to previous radio messages. A French air force helicopter found the American flagged yacht - called Tiger PA - at around 5.30pm. Divers who winched down to the "gutted" sailboat found no sign of the man. A Portuguese cargo ship and a Spanish hospital ship were diverted to the area and joined the search. The French navy's Falcon 50, a maritime surveillance aircraft, was also deployed at nightfall. The search was suspended at 1.33pm on Sunday, the Atlantic Maritime Prefecture added. Read more from Sky News: Storm Herminia - named by Spanish meteorologists - brought heavy rain and strong winds to the north of Spain and western France at the weekend.
Sky News
27-01-2025
- Sky News
British sailor missing after his damaged yacht found off French coast
A British sailor is missing in the Bay of Biscay after his damaged yacht was found off the French coast. A search was launched for the 73-year-old on Saturday after a distress beacon was launched 50 miles west of Lacanau at around 3pm, according to the Atlantic Maritime Prefecture, a French government organisation. He had earlier told a nearby cargo ship he was safe and continuing on his way, after not responding to previous radio messages. A French air force helicopter found the American flagged yacht - called Tiger PA - at around 5.30pm. Divers who winched down to the "gutted" sailboat found no sign of the man. A Portuguese cargo ship and a Spanish hospital ship were diverted to the area and joined the search. The French navy's Falcon 50, a maritime surveillance aircraft, was also deployed at nightfall. The search was suspended at 1.33pm on Sunday, the Atlantic Maritime Prefecture added.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Yahoo
British sailor missing off French coast after yacht found ‘eviscerated' in storm
A British sailor is missing at sea after his yacht was found in the Bay of Biscay, French authorities have said. A French Air Force helicopter was sent to search for the 73-year-old man, who has not been named after his distress beacon went off around 50 miles from Lacanau in Gascony on Saturday. The Tiger PA, a 12-metre yacht sailing under an American flag, was spotted by helicopter but was later found to be empty, according to the Atlantic Maritime Prefecture, a government body. A yacht with the same name was last located in Weymouth, Dorset, last week, according to the Vesselfinder website. The French authorities said they had received an alert from Britain's coastguard on Friday evening after the yacht failed to respond to radio messages. The yacht was found in the Bay of Biscay, off the coast of south-west France, and a cargo ship 'managed to make radio contact after several attempts', the prefecture said. It said: 'Alone on board, a 73-year-old man of British nationality indicated that he was safe and continuing on his way.' Helicopter crew then discovered the yacht 'eviscerated' on Saturday and two divers found it empty. A Portuguese cargo ship, a Spanish hospital ship that treats fishermen at sea and a French navy maritime surveillance aircraft joined the search before it was called off on Sunday. It comes after gusts of up to 98mph were recorded off the west French coast on Sunday. A small French sailing boat capsized close to the coast off the Atlantic resort of Les Sables-d'Olonne and the sailor was rescued by a surfer. Meanwhile, six people got into trouble in kayaks off Saint-Nazaire, Brittany before being rescued by French lifeboats in 55mph winds. In Britain, a tree hit a 19-year-old's blue Ford Focus at about 6.45 am on Friday in Mauchline, East Ayrshire, and he died the following day. In Ireland Kacper Dudek, 20, died after a tree fell on his car at Feddyglass, Raphoe in Co Donegal, early on Friday and Irish police are investigating the incident.
