Falmouth Coastguard last night received an emergency alert via satellite that a 406 beacon was transmitting from the 32 foot yacht ‘Silent Annie’, 240 miles south southwest of the Isles of Scilly.

This was the same yacht that incurred a medical evacuation on Wednesday, 190 miles south west of the Isles of Scilly, where the casualty was transferred to the ‘CEFAS Endeavour’ and then airlifted to Treliske Hospital by a Royal Navy rescue helicopter.

Last night Falmouth Coastguard put out a Mayday Relay broadcast to shipping via satellite, to alert passing vessels to keep a look out for the yacht and also requested its Spanish counterparts in Madrid to issue radio broadcasts to shipping. RAF Kinloss supplied a Nimrod to help assist in the search for the yacht.

A merchant vessel ‘Gemini 1’ made its way to the yacht from 16 miles away after hearing the Mayday on channel 16. The yachtsman was then taken aboard the vessel and the yacht whose mast was broken was abandoned.

The yachtsman has now been airlifted by the Spanish Rescue helicopter and will be taken to La Coruna.

The weather conditions on scene were north westerlies gale force 7 – 8.