Washington: A US Navy warship helicopter has spotted a missing yacht in the Atlantic but found no trace of its four British crew members now feared dead, American officials said Friday.
The Cheeki Rafiki's overturned hull was located 1,000 nautical miles (1,850 kilometers) off the shore of Massachusetts.
Inside, search crews located the life raft secured in its storage space, "indicating it was not used for emergency purposes," the Coast Guard said in further indication the screw did not make it out alive.
The information was shared with the families of the crew.
The 40-foot (12-meter) yacht was returning from a regatta off the Caribbean island of Antigua when it began taking on water May 15, about 600 miles east of Cape Cod. It lost contact a day later.
The crew included experienced captain Andrew Bridge, 22, and crew members James Male, 23, Steve Warren, 52, and Paul Goslin, 56.
"Navy crews observed that the sailing vessel's keel was broken off, causing a breech in the hull," the US Coast Guard said in a statement.
A surface swimmer "determined the boat's cabin was flooded and windows were shattered, contributing to the complete flooding inside," it added.
"The swimmer also knocked on the hull and reached an arm's length below the waterline with no results."
The Coast Guard had announced Thursday that search operations would be called off by midnight Friday unless search and rescue workers saw or learned anything suggesting the crew could still be alive.
"None of the current developments indicate that to be the case," the Coast Guard said, noting it does not usually conduct operations to salvage vessels after a shipwreck.
The Cheeki Rafiki's overturned hull was located 1,000 nautical miles (1,850 kilometers) off the shore of Massachusetts.
Inside, search crews located the life raft secured in its storage space, "indicating it was not used for emergency purposes," the Coast Guard said in further indication the screw did not make it out alive.
The 40-foot (12-meter) yacht was returning from a regatta off the Caribbean island of Antigua when it began taking on water May 15, about 600 miles east of Cape Cod. It lost contact a day later.
Advertisement
"Navy crews observed that the sailing vessel's keel was broken off, causing a breech in the hull," the US Coast Guard said in a statement.
Advertisement
"The swimmer also knocked on the hull and reached an arm's length below the waterline with no results."
Advertisement
"None of the current developments indicate that to be the case," the Coast Guard said, noting it does not usually conduct operations to salvage vessels after a shipwreck.
COMMENTS
Advertisement
62-Year-Old Who Received First-Ever Pig Kidney Transplant Dies Nearly 2 Months Later Floating Home: Two-Storey House Embarks On Journey Across San Francisco Bay Castaways Rescued After Writing "Help" With Palm Leaves On Pacific Island Shooter Had Trump's Face Right In Middle Of Crosshairs, Shows New Video Barack Obama Wants Joe Biden To Pull Out Of US Presidential Race: Report World's Largest Isolated Tribe Makes Rare Appearance In New Footage Israeli Strike Kills Field Commander In Elite Hezbollah Unit: Report Delhi-San Francisco Air India Flight Diverted To Russia After Engine Glitch Congress Does Not Want Manipur Like Situation In Tripura: Gaurav Gogoi Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.