The British sailor has been lost at sea after his yacht was found destroyed off the French coast amid the ongoing Storm Herminia that continues to batter the region
A British sailor is lost at sea after his yacht was found destroyed off the French coast as Storm Herminia batters the region.
The 73-year-old set off a distress beacon on Saturday after he got into difficulty about 50 miles west of Lacanau, the Préfecture maritime de l’Atlantique said in a public statement. The French air force had been dispatched in a bid to find the sailor but only his yacht was found in the Bay of Biscay.
A French helicopter crew later found the 12-metre-long yacht. The Brit reportedly said he was alone on the vessel, had been safe and continuing on his way in the alert.
The search for the vessel, which was flying under an American flag, after the man stopped responding to messages. A Portuguese cargo ship as well as a Spanish hospital vessel were also diverted to help search the area alongside French naval boats.
But the search was called at about 1:33am on Sunday off “due to a lack of information.” The north of Spain and western France have had heavy rain and wind during Storm Herminia, which was named by Spanish meteorologists because the country was expected to experience the worst of the conditions.
Windspeeds have exceeded 62mph as floodwaters sparked by the storm led cards and buildings to be submerged in western parts of France. The search for the sailor comes as Storm Herminia lashed regions in western Europe in the immediate aftermath of Storm Eowyn.
Two people died in Storm Eowyn after it ushered in strong gusts and heavy rain across much of the UK and Ireland.
