Yachtsman rescued off Dover

Yachtsman rescued off Dover

LONDON, May 21, 2008/3mnewswire.org/ -- A yachtsman is now receiving medical assistance at a hospital in Margate after thankfully hitting the Mayday button on his Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, as he was falling in and out of consciousness.

Dover Coastguard received the digital Mayday at 6:15pm, which confirmed the casualty's position, a few miles off Margate; contact was made with the lone skipper and resources immediately tasked to the scene. Rescue helicopter 125 from RAF Wattisham was scrambled and Margate RNLI inshore and all weather lifeboats were requested to launch. A Mayday relay was broadcast to shipping in the area, and a Gas Tanker 'Yara Gas 3' was able to standby the yacht whilst waiting for the lifeboat to arrive on scene.

Peter Legg, Watch Manager at Dover Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, says:

"We managed to make contact with the casualty (male in his fifties) who was slipping in and out of consciousness on a 22 foot sloop. When the lifeboat arrived on scene the crew prepared the casualty to be transferred by Rescue helicopter to Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Hospital. His yacht is being towed to Margate.

The yachtsman was very fortunate to have Digital Selective Calling aboard, as he may well not have been able to manually make a Mayday call."

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