British pilot rescued after mayday call

A British pilot who crashed into the ocean during a solo flight was rescued near the Dominican Republic.

Maurice Kirk, 62, issued a mayday call yesterday before his plane went down about 75 miles northwest of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

A US Coast Guard helicopter found him near dusk by tracking an emergency radio beacon.

Mr Kirk was in stable condition after being transferred to emergency medical services at the international airport in the nearby Turks and Caicos islands.

Coast guards revealed that the beacon had helped saved the life of Mr Kirk.

“Luckily he had that beacon on him. That was a really good decision on his part,” said petty officer Nick Ameen, a coast guard spokesman in Miami.