Two lost in Mediterranean yacht tragedy

by The Independent/Sail-World Cruising on 17 Mar 2010 A Cypriot policeman drowned and the mother of two children is missing after a yacht capsized in rough seas off the coastal resort of Paphos on Cyprus.

The yacht, with a Russian couple and two young children on board had sailed 150 miles from the Turkish port of Finike, a popular destination for yachts and a Sunsail charter base.

The policeman had been making a rescue attempt.

The father of the two children swam to shore, and the two children survived by staying on the yacht.

Police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos said officer Andreas Georgiou, 29, died during a pre-dawn rescue attempt when his inflatable craft also capsized as he tried to reach the stricken vessel.

Another police officer, who was with Mr Georgiou during the rescue, survived by clinging on to the craft and was pulled to safety by a police helicopter, Mr Katsounotos said.

The yacht got into trouble at around 3am about 200m off the shoreline of Paphos.

Mr Katsounotos said rescuers found the couple's 10-month-old daughter and three-year-old son alive on the yacht after it washed ashore near Paphos's small harbour.

He said authorities were only alerted after the children's 30-year-old father managed to swim to shore. A search for their 31-year-old mother is continuing.

The father and children were taken to a hospital and are recovering from hypothermia but are doing well, Mr Katsounotos said.

Police have not released the names of the Russian family.