Debris found in ocean yacht search

22 May 2014 Last updated at 12:20

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Skipper Patrick Michel says a crew member saw "a 3ft wooden plank that could be a washboard or floor board"

Debris has been found in the Atlantic Ocean near where the missing yacht Cheeki Rafiki disappeared.

The captain of a catamaran helping in the search said details had been passed to the US Coast Guard, but did not know if the debris was part of the UK boat.

The 40ft Cheeki Rafiki, based in Southampton, was sailing back to the UK from Antigua when it went missing.

The missing crew's relatives are meeting officials at the Foreign Office in London.

The search for the vessel was originally called off on Sunday but resumed on Tuesday.

The four missing crew members are Paul Goslin, 56, from West Camel, Somerset; skipper Andrew Bridge, 22, from Farnham; Steve Warren, 52, from Bridgwater; and 22-year-old James Male, from Romsey.

Patrick Michel, skipper of the Malisi, one of the volunteer crews searching for the missing yacht, said he had reported the positions of the debris and the time they were spotted to the US Coast Guard.

Mr Michel said a plank of wood, which could be a floorboard or part of a table, and a plastic board had been seen.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he did not know for certain what the items were but said "the grouping of these debris in the northern part of the search area could indicate that they are recent".

He added: "Until we get feedback from the owner who knows the boat, nothing can be confirmed."

'Keep looking'

Some of the relatives of the missing men are meeting Foreign Office minister Hugh Robertson ahead of a visit to the US Embassy later.

On his way into the Foreign Office, Andrew Bridge's father, David, said he was grateful to the government and the media for their support.

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Relatives of the Cheeki Rafiki's crew say they hope satellite imagery will be released so it can be studied by members of the public

He said his message would be: "Keep looking [and] as soon as you hear anything, let us know."

The families, who took letters of thanks to the prime minister and foreign secretary for their efforts so far, said they hoped people would be able to join the search online using satellite technology.

Mr Warren's partner, Gloria Hamlet, said: "If there are eyes out there looking for them then there's a chance.

"Hopefully today will be the day but we've got to wait and see."

Coastguards said on Wednesday that about 9,000 square miles had been searched and there had been no sightings of a life-raft, debris or a boat during the day.

An RAF Hercules has joined the three planes and six ships already deployed to search the area where the sailors are thought to have disappeared - approximately 1,000 miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

A number of yachts have also joined the search.

'Exhausting'

Kay Coombes, Mr Warren's sister, told BBC Breakfast: "I think they've got a bit more of a clue now so hopefully the coastguard can plot that and get the ships to that area, so fingers crossed they can start searching there."

She said relatives of the missing sailors were staying positive.

"We are just keeping going. It's exhausting now, this has been going on for days."

The decision to resume the search followed an official request from the UK government. An online petition, set up to urge the US Coast Guard to resume the search, attracted more than 200,000 signatures.

US Coast Guard Capt Anthony Popiel has said no decision has been taken on when to suspend the search, and pledged that teams would continue to hunt for the Britons as if they were "looking for a member of our own family".

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