Yacht couple's family wait for news

The families of a missing British couple feared to have been hijacked by pirates faced an anxious wait for news today.

Paul and Rachel Chandler, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, went missing while sailing from the Seychelles towards Tanzania.

Rescue teams were investigating a possible sighting of a yacht towing a small boat in the search area, but could not confirm whether it was the missing Lynn Rival.

The European Union Naval Force Somalia said it had located a yacht about 200 miles to the east of the Somali port of Haradheere, but could not establish its name and did not want to give the family “false hope”.

Earlier, Leah Mickleborough, the couple’s niece, said the family had feared “the worst might have happened”.

“When you hear of things like this you possibly expect the worst might have happened but you always hope that it hasn’t ... things are turning out that potentially this might be happening,” she said.

“You never believe it’s going to be one of those things that happens to your family.”

Speaking from her home in Gloucestershire, Mr Chandler’s sister, Jill Marshment, added it was “like a bad dream”.

Mrs Marshment told BBC News: “I’m sure they will come out of it all right and they will do the best they can.

“The adrenaline will start flowing. They’re quite strong people. They don’t go into things lightly.”

She said the couple were “quite happy with their own company”, “very hard working” and widely read.

“It’s like a bad dream,” she said.

“I just can’t believe it’s happening, but it does happen in life, I’m afraid.”

Mrs Marshment added that the couple would have known about the risk from pirates beforehand and “being sensible people, would have taken that into account”.

The route would have taken Mr and Mrs Chandler near Somali waters notorious for pirate attacks on ships and smaller boats.

The last message on their extensive travel blog was posted on Friday morning and reads simply: “Please ring Sarah.”

It is thought the message was to Mrs Chandler’s sister, believed to live in the London area.

Last night, a spokesman for the European Union Naval Force Somalia said: “One of the ship’s helicopters involved in the investigation saw a yacht towing a pirate’s skiff (a small boat).

“As light was fading, it was impossible to identify it. It was the first yacht we’ve seen. It’s in the area where we’ve been looking for this yacht.

“I don’t want to give the family false hope. We are treating the sighting very seriously. There will be at least two European Union Naval Force ships going to investigate.”

He also refused to speculate whether the sighting, made at about 3pm Irish time, was confirmation the couple had been captured by pirates.

A news agency said it had been contacted yesterday by a pirate to say the couple were “in our hands now”.

The man, who gave his name as Hassan, said the captives were in good health and ransom demands would follow.

The UK Foreign Office said it was “urgently investigating” the claims and remains “extremely concerned for their safety”.

Contact was last made with 58-year-old Mr Chandler and Mrs Chandler, 55, on Friday as they sailed in their yacht.

Britain’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency said an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) was activated at 11pm on Friday.

Lieutenant Colonel Michael Rosette, commanding officer of the Seychelles Coastguard, said: “We are monitoring the situation and at the present moment there is no confirmation that the Lynn Rival has been taken by pirates, even if the probability of hijacking is high.

“We are pursuing all efforts with other international partners establish to the facts.”

Enthusiasts on a yachting forum questioned the wisdom of sailing in that area.

One post said: “I hope the people in question are well. However, I do wonder why anyone would sail through these areas. The dangers are very well known and very well reported.”