Lucky Escape For French Skipper From Yacht Blaze

23rd August 2014

#Explosion - A French yachtsman had a lucky escape after an explosion on his yacht that quickly engulfed the vessel in flames.

As Practical Boat Owner reports, the solo sailor called 999 for British emergency services after the incident on his 36-foot yacht some 15 nautical miles off Sunderland in the north-east of England early yesterday morning (Friday 22 August).

The man was winched to safety from his liferaft by a rescue helicopter from RAF Boulmer as lifeboats from Hartlepool RNLI also attended the scene to secure the area around the burning yacht.

"Fortunately, the sailor was uninjured but it was very sad to see his yacht burn and then sink so quickly," said Hartlepool coxswain Robbie Maiden.

"We understand the boat was his home and he was sailing from Iceland to Holland, but it looks like he’s lost nearly everything."

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MacDara Conroy

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MacDara Conroy is a contributor covering all things on the water, from boating and wildlife to science and business

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