A crewmember from an around-the-world amateur yacht race is lucky to be alive after spending 90 minutes in the stormy Pacific Ocean after falling overboard.
The race organizers said that the “Derry~Londonderry~Doire” crewmember, 46yo Andrew Taylor, went overboard Saturday afternoon in rough weather, with winds of 35 knots and heavy waves.
Skipper Sean McCarter reported that he was working with Andrew on a sail change near the bow when he went over the side, according to the race. Sean immediately went back to the helm, stopped the yacht and initiated the MOB (man overboard) procedure.
Taylor spent 90 minutes in the water before being pulled to safety, freezing cold and shaken but lucky to be alive.
The 3,000 mile race, called the “Clipper Round the World”, supplies twelve identical, 70-foot racing yachts to be manned by a completely amateur crew under the command of a fully-qualified skipper.
The race attributes the successful rescue to rigorous safety training, a dry suit and the man’s Personal Locator Beacon.
“This is a reminder of two basic points from your training,” said Race chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. “Always clip on, and check that you are clipped on by pulling on the tether to ensure it is fast before going further…Human life is far too precious to be thrown away by a moment’s forgetfulness.”
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