Sailor rescued after drifting ‘hopelessly’ in English Channel for three days

Yacht towed into harbour by Kent Police after engine failed and radio died

Kent Police discovered the yacht at around 11am on Sunday morning (Search & Marine Unit, TacOps, Kent Police)

An “extremely grateful” sailor has been rescued in the English Channel after “drifting hopelessly” for three days.

Kent Police's Search and Marine Unit discovered the stranded vessel while on a routine patrol near the Port of Dover on Sunday morning.

The yacht’s engine had failed and the onboard radio had stopped working as a result, the force said, relaying the story of the rescue on Twitter.

The man had raised the boat’s sails “but there was hardly a breath of wind to help him out”, police said.

“The person on board told us he had been drifting hopelessly for 3 days!! Kent Marine Unit have towed an extremely grateful sailor and his yacht in to the safety of a port,” the force tweeted.

The rescued sailor was “totally fine, and in good spirits”, Kent Police said, adding that he has “got some repairs to get sorted now, though”.

Despite the current lockdown confining most people to their homes, the force said no restrictions had been breached because the sailor lives on the yacht.

A police spokesperson said the vessel was towed to the Port of Dover marina and no injuries were reported.

Additional reporting by PA