‘David is mentally strong and will cope’

CAPTURED Irish sailor David Bloomer is mentally strong and will be helping his fellow yachtsmen during their ordeal in Iran, a friend has said.

Graham Smith, who sailed regularly with Mr Bloomer in Ireland before he emigrated to Bahrain in the 1980s, said everybody who knew him is very worried.

But he believes the radio presenter, in his early 60s, is physically and mentally fit enough to get through what he branded a strange scenario.

“I have absolutely no qualms that he will be extremely well able to cope with a situation like that,” he said.

“He’s a good communicator – he works as a DJ and radio presenter on Radio Bahrain, and has been around various parts of the world covering various events, sporting events particularly, on their behalf over the years.

“In terms of being able to communicate and talk I see no difficulty with him whatsoever, and I would take him to be a mentally tough guy.”

Mr Bloomer has dual Irish and British citizenship and was a sales manager for IBM before leaving Ireland more than 25 years ago.

He is married with no children and has a brother Ian, who lives in south Dublin and who refused to comment on efforts to release the five sailors who were onboard The Kingdom Of Bahrain racing yacht when it was stopped by the Iranian navy last Wednesday.

“I’d rather not discuss it at this moment in time,” he said.

Mr Smith, a public relations consultant from Malahide, said Mr Bloomer is extremely active for his age and was always looking for new challenges.

The pair used to sail on his father’s boat and went on a sailing holiday together in Corfu.

Although well-experienced, he said Mr Bloomer really just dabbled in sailing and rowing is his real passion, having rowed for Trinity College Dublin and Neptune rowing club.

“He will be amused to hear himself being described by Foreign Secretary David Miliband as among five young men,” he said.

“The other four may be young but David isn’t. Although he is an extremely fit man for his age – he’s in his early 60s but you wouldn’t know it to look at him.”

Oliver Smith, 31, from Southampton; Oliver Young, 21, from Plymouth; Sam Usher, 26, from Scarborough, North Yorkshire; and Luke Porter, 21, from Weston-super-Mare, were also on board the Sail Bahrain-owned yacht when it strayed into Iranian waters as they sailed from Bahrain to Dubai.

Tehran warned it will take strong action against the five men if it is proven they had “bad intentions” when their racing yacht entered Iran’s Persian Gulf waters and was seized.

The detention could heighten tensions between Iran and major world powers, including Britain, that are demanding a halt to Tehran’s controversial nuclear programme.