After sending out a distress signal at 4:30 am this morning, three Americans sailors have been rescued from their yacht in deep water off the southwest coast of Iceland, RÚV reports. The mast of the boat had broken and it lost power, but all of the people on board were safe and in good health.
When the call was received, the worst was feared, as the yacht’s distress signal was activated manually, indicating that the situation was likely to be very serious. The Icelandic Coast Guard’s research vessel Árni Friðriksson was 30 nautical miles away at the time and immediately set off for the site.
In addition to the Árni Friðriksson, the Danish Air Force also deployed a patrol plane from Greenland. Isavia, the Icelandic company that operates all airports and air services in Iceland, also sent out a plane equipped with a powerful tracking device. It was this plane that found the yacht at 11:00 am.
