The missing sailor who sparked a rescue has been found safe and well off the Isle of Man after the Coastguard got a fix on his mobile phone.

Eddie Bowers had last communicated with his brother on Sunday morning when he departed Peel, Isle of Man on passage to Ardglass in Northern Ireland on his 28-foot yacht, Skybird.

He told his brother that he would call him after arriving at 2100 that evening. He did not make the call and his brother alerted the authorities.

The coordinates of the phone fix were given to Liverpool Coastguard, who requested the launch of the Isle of Man Port Erin and Port St Mary RNLI lifeboats. They eventually located him six miles west of Niarbyl, Isle of Man.

His mobile phone battery had gone flat and his hand held VHF radio was turned down, but the sailor was confident that he would continue his passage to Ardglass.

Su Daintith, Watch Manager, Liverpool Coastguard said: ‘We hope that he learns from this sailing experience that good communications and knowing how to use them are a vital part of equipment on any sailing trip.

‘You can always register your vessel with our small yacht and boat safety scheme CG66 and we would advise sailors that they can always let us know their passage plan.’

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