Essex: Body recovered after coastal search (From Gazette)

Essex: Body recovered after coastal search

4:00pm Friday 26th September 2008 in News By Ryan McCarthy

Search and rescue teams have recovered a body after a search for a missing sailor.

Julia Marston, of the Thames Coastguard, said a body was recovered by an RAF helicopter from Wattisham at about 2pm this afternoon.

A major coastal search was launched yesterday afternoon after a yacht, which left Tollesbury marina at about 9.15am, went aground at 5.30pm in the West Mersea area with no-one on board.

Bill Stock, Essex Police spokesman, said this morning that the man on board was believed to be a 60-year-old from the Cambridgeshire area.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency reported that the man had left the marina for a day of sailing.

He was making entries in his log reporting his progress when he reported that the weather had become rough and he intended to return home.

The search resumed this morning after stopping last night for bad light.

Fred Caygill, of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said a body was recovered from the sea and taken to Colchester Hospital.

He said the body was now in the hands of the Essex Coroner's Office and it has yet to be identified.