Yacht firm boss’ horror after search called off

THE YACHT management company director responsible for the Cheeki Rafiki, which capsized in the mid-Atlantic, killing the four crew members, has broken down in tears as he told a court he was “horrified” when the US Coastguard said it was planning to call off the rescue mission.

The yacht lost its keel as the crew were returning the 40ft vessel from Antigua to the UK in May 2014 when it got into trouble more than 700 miles from Nova Scotia.

The four crew members who died were skipper Andrew Bridge, 22, from Farnham in Surrey, with James Male, 22, from Southampton, as well as Steve Warren, 52, and Paul Goslin, 56, both from Somerset.

The US Coastguard was criticised for calling off its search after two days but after protests from family and friends and intervention by the British Government, the search was re-started and the boat was found, but without any sign of the four men.

Douglas Innes, 42, director of Stormforce Coaching Limited, who denies four counts of manslaughter by gross negligence, told Winchester Crown Court that on May 15 2014, he received an email headed “Urgent” from Mr Bridge as he arrived in a pub after a day’s sailing.

He said it was not an emergency call for help and said the skipper was simply asking for advice about an intake of water and added: “I didn’t feel this is a major problem.”

He said he later received a phone call from Mr Bridge on the yacht’s satellite phone which led him to return home so he could “give this 100%” and to contact the Coastguard.

Innes said he received a final call in the early hours of May 16 in which Mr Bridge said: “This is getting worse”, before the Coastguard received a signal from the skipper’s personal location beacon at 5.10am.

Later in the morning Innes said he decided to contact the four sailors’ next of kin and added: “That’s not something I was ever prepared for, the first phone call was very difficult,