UNPREPARED YACHTSMAN RESCUED OFF EASTBOURNE

A man’s been helped to safety after he was spotted in difficulty off the Sussex coast this afternoon.

Dover Coastguard received a call just after 1pm today from a fisherman who reported that a yacht had lost its mast. He went to assist and towed the boat to Sovereign Harbour Eastbourne, where they were met by the Eastbourne Coastguard Rescue Team.

It turned out that the yacht had not only lost its mast, but was also lacking radio equipment, distress flares, and didn’t have a rudder.

Frank O’Neill, Senior Watch Manager at Dover Coastguard, said:

"It was lucky that this man was spotted before he got into real trouble. With no radio equipment or distress flares on board, there was no way he could have raised the alarm.

"We always recommend that you have the correct lifesaving equipment with you when heading out on the water. Wear a lifejacket, carry distress flares with you, and make sure you have the right communications equipment on board so you can call us for help. Where possible, fit a VHF digital selective calling (DSC) radio which can send a distress alert and, if it is linked up to GPS, an accurate position of your vessel to the Coastguard with one touch of a button.”

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