Pensioner Missing After Yacht ‘Eviscerated’ in Horror UK Storm
A 73-year-old British sailor is missing after his yacht was found damaged in the Atlantic following a severe storm
Pensioner, Yacht, Storm, Atlantic Ocean, UK, France, Weymouth
Weymouth: A 73-year-old British sailor is missing after his yacht, the Tiger PA, was found severely damaged in the Atlantic Ocean. The poor guy set off a distress beacon, and that’s when the French Air Force jumped into action.
They searched the southwest coast of France after getting the alert. Sadly, when divers got to the scene, they found the liferaft empty, and the search was called off on Sunday morning.
It all started when the yacht stopped responding to radio messages on Friday evening. The yacht was last recorded in Weymouth, Dorset, just a week ago. It was located in the Bay of Biscay, and a Portuguese cargo ship managed to make contact with the sailor, who initially said he was safe.
But then, the distress beacon went off the next day around 3 PM, just as Storm Herminia was rolling in. Winds were reported at a crazy 98 mph off the west coast, following another storm just days earlier.
The Atlantic Maritime Prefecture had warned about the dangers of the sea during winter, especially with all these storms. Storm Herminia led to yellow weather warnings in the UK for wind and heavy rain, which could cause travel issues and even flying debris.
This storm first hit parts of Spain and France and is now moving east towards the UK, starting with South West England. The Met Office even mentioned that while this storm isn’t as strong as the last one, it could still cause some flooding and further complications.
So, fingers crossed they find the sailor safe and sound soon.