A crew member of the Derry “LondonDerry” Doire has had a miraculous escape after falling overboard during the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.
Rescued: Andrew Taylor.
Andrew Taylor (46), from London, spent 90 minutes in the water after falling into the Pacific Ocean in the early hours of this morning during Race 10 from China to San Francisco.
He went over the side at 23.43 (local time) last night in rough weather and was sighted again at 00.55 before being recovered at approximately 01.13.
The incident happened in rough weather with 35 knots of wind and clear visibility in daylight.
Skipper Sean McCarter reported he was working with Andrew on a sail change near the bow when he went over the side.
Sean immediately went back to the helm, stopped the yacht and initiated the MOB (man overboard) procedure.
Race director Justin Taylor said: “In these conditions a man overboard is swept away from the boat very quickly and visual contact can be lost in the swell.
“We have a well-rehearsed procedure to mark the position, stop racing and engaged the engine to search for and recover the crew member as quickly as possible.
“An hour and a half is a very long time to be in the water in these conditions but a combination of his sea survival training and seven months at sea as well as wearing a life jacket and dry suit will have contributed enormously to his survival.”
Following his recovery, Andrew was taken below decks for treatment by the on board medic, crew member Susie Redhouse (42) also from London, who is a paramedic clinical tutor.
Derry Clipper skipper Sean McCarter.
She said Andrew was suffering from shock and may have hypothermia.
His condition is being monitored closely, but he appears to be in relatively good spirits and is talking with fellow crew members.
“The MOB procedures were put into practice flawlessly by the crew in difficult conditions,” said Clipper Race founder and Chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.
“It is a tribute to their training and determination that Andrew was successfully recovered. It is always a concern when we have a major incident and we will want to analyse the circumstances in detail to see if there is anything we need to learn or review as a result.”
OneDLL responded to the mayday call and diverted course to render assistance as the closest yacht to the Derry Clipper.
Falmouth and US Coast Guard services were contacted and have now been stood down. Both boats have resumed racing.
This is only the third ever incident in the Clipper Race’s 18 year history that someone has had to be recovered from the water. In both previous incidents, the crew members were rescued within minutes.
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