British sailor missing in Bay of Biscay after damaged yacht found off French coast

The Atlantic Maritime Prefecture, a French government organisation, reported that a search was launched on Saturday after a distress beacon was activated approximately 50 miles west of Lacanau at around 3pm.

Before activating the beacon, the sailor had communicated with a nearby cargo ship, saying that he was safe and continuing his journey, despite not responding to earlier radio messages.

At approximately 5.30pm, a French air force helicopter located the American-flagged yacht, Tiger PA, but found it “gutted” and showing significant damage. Divers deployed to the vessel found no sign of the sailor onboard.

The search effort included a Portuguese cargo ship, a Spanish hospital ship, and the French navy’s Falcon 50 maritime surveillance aircraft, which conducted operations into the evening. Despite these extensive efforts, the sailor remains unaccounted for.

The Atlantic Maritime Prefecture confirmed that the search was suspended at 1.33pm on Sunday. The fate of the missing sailor remains unknown as authorities have not disclosed further details.