Englishman recovering after coastal rescue

A 46-year-old Englishman was recovering in hospital today after being rescued from his yacht 150 miles off the Irish coast.

Greg Blezard had suffered head injuries after being hit by a spar, a wooden pole on the boat’s sail, off Cork two days earlier.

The three other crew members on the yacht became concerned about the blackouts he was experiencing and radioed medical services in Cork.

A Waterford-based Irish Coastguard helicopter airlifted Mr Blezard from the yacht at around 3am.

A Coastguard spokesman said: “He would have been in the British sector but they didn’t have a helicopter available, so they requested ours.”

The helicopter landed at Truro in Cornwall shortly before 4am this morning, where Mr Blezard was admitted to hospital.

The yacht, named the Gull, had left Valentia in Kerry several days earlier on a voyage to Spain with four crew members on board. The three remaining members are continuing the journey.