Captain 'did all he could' to rescue crew

A spokesman for the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the vessel was owned by French woman Stephanie Preux and was bound for Cherbourg when it left Co Kerry on September 6.

The captain of an Irish vessel which began to take in water, forcing its crew to abandon ship, did all he could to turn the situation around, a spokesman for the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency said.

The five-person crew were rescued from their life raft after they made a phone call on sight of land nine days after they first set sail.