Sick sailor's rescue drama - he collapsed in agony with a severe migraine headache

David Goodwin • Published 15 Jun 2011 12:00

AN elderly sailor sparked a major search and rescue operation after taking ill onboard his yacht - just as the boat's engine failed.

The stricken 71-year-old - who was out cruising with his wife to celebrate her birthday - had to be airlifted to hospital after being located by rescuers.

The man was at the wheel of his 26ft craft 'Saint Jerme' when he collapsed in agony with a severe migraine headache on Monday afternoon.

Largs lifeboat - coordinated by Clyde Coastguard - raced to the drifting yacht after the man's panic-stricken wife, 68, reported that she and her husband were 'somewhere off Hunterston Power Station'.

But there was no sign of the vessel in this area, and the RNLI rescuers - with help from a search an rescue helicopter from HMS Gannet - eventually found the boat had actually been blown towards the main shipping channel off Ardrossan.

An RNLI spokesman said: "As time passed more assistance was called for in an effort to locate the unlucky couple, who by this time were becoming very distressed - particularly as the gentleman's condition was worsening.

"Soon the helicopter was in the sky and within minutes of the its arrival on scene the stricken vessel was located."

http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/news/greenock/articles/2011/06/15/414268-sick-sailors-rescue-drama/

Oh they must have been terrified...poor souls