Choppers From U.S. Carrier Rescue 15 Stranded British Boaters Off Corsica
Helicopters from the carrier Theodore Roosevelt rescued 15 Britons from four yachts foundering in rough seas off Corsica.
The U.S. 6th Fleet said the 35-foot Harlequin called for help before dawn Thursday when its captain fell and broke his leg as the sailboat struggled in 30-foot seas and 70-knot winds. Three other sailboats sent distress calls by sunrise.
Capt. Dayton W. Ritt, the Roosevelt’s commanding officer, said helicopters took off from the nuclear-powered carrier at first light. Fourteen men and one woman were flown to safety during the six-hour rescue.
The skipper of the Harlequin, Malcolm Cross, was in stable condition with a fractured right leg, doctors said. The other crew members were in good condition aboard the carrier.
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