News

Two people have been rescued from their life raft northeast of Dover, after their yacht started to sink late on Sunday evening (24 June).

Dover Coastguard received a faint Mayday at shortly before midnight from a yacht called 'Atlanta', stating they were going to take to their life raft as the vessel was taking on water and starting to list.

Thames Coastguard assisted jointly with the search and rescue by scrambling a rescue helicopter from RAF Wattisham and alerting its Felixstowe mobile unit.

Ted Ingham, Watch Manager, Dover Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, said: "The Ro-Ro vessel 'Louise Russ' that operates from Tilbury to Rotterdam was nearby the yacht 'Atlanta' and was able to locate the flare and pick up the two crew who had abandoned to their life raft 55 miles northeast of Dover. The yacht was listing badly and semi-submerged.

The two Swedish casualties, a man and a women were safe and well and did not need any medical attention and were flown back to the air base.