A Cosco Shipping bulker has plucked two British sailors from their yacht in the Atlantic after it ran into trouble.
The rescue involving the 38,836-dwt Xiu Yuhai (built 2016) took place on 7 February after the yacht – the Locomocean – lost power, the shipowner said.
It received an alert from the MRCC in Fort De France that the yacht was in distress and had sent an SOS signal via its EPIRB.
The Hong Kong-flagged bulker immediately changed course and headed towards the yacht asking the MRCC for updates of the vessel’s location.
It was a further six hours before lookouts on the Xiu Yuhai spotted the yacht, but it was unable to come alongside the bulker due to a lack of power.
“To ensure the safety of the crew on the boat, the captain of the Xiu Yuhai decided to adjust the vessel’s track again to slowly approach to the sailboat windward on the starboard,” Cosco Shipping said in a posting on Facebook.
“After more than 20 minutes, the two persons in distress successfully boarded the ship. They were in danger for nearly 12 hours in the wind and waves before being saved.”
Three days the later the rescued couple later disembarked at the Port of Point Lisas in Trinidad and Tobago.
