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AJACCIO, France, Jan 16 (AFP) – An Australian yachtsman who fell overboard off the northern tip of the French Mediterranean island of Corsica was believed dead Friday after rescuers called off their search, maritime officials said.
The missing man was sailing a 15-meter (50-foot) boat with another Australian through a storm when he fell overboard for an as-yet unexplained reason, officials said. The two had encountered waves of seven to eight meters (23 to 26 feet).
His co-captain sounded the alarm and managed to get the boat back to shore with an official escort.
Rescue teams in planes and helicopters combed the waters off Cap Corse for 33 hours, but called off their search early Friday, maritime officials said in a statement.
The two Australians, who rented a US-registered boat from its American owner, had left Antibes on the French Riviera en route to Malta, but changed course and headed for Corsica due to the violent storm.
© AFP
Subject: France news