Title: Record-attempt sailor flown to hospital
Orginal link: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21676718-1244,00.html
Author: By Catherine Best
Published date:May 05, 2007 03:48pm
RESCUERS have plucked a 77-year-old Japanese sailor from the ocean off south-west Tasmania after a world record attempt went awry.[/b]


Ikuo Kashima was rescued from his stricken yacht after drifting for almost 11 hours after the vessel was pounded by a wave.

The mishap happened about 100 nautical miles off Bathurst Harbour as the veteran yachtsman was attempting a world record, sailing solo around the world.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) spokeswoman Tracey Jiggins said a police helicopter rescued Kashima about 1pm (AEST) today.

The helicopter would take the patient, who had back and leg injuries, to hospital in Hobart, she said.

"That gentleman has been successfully lifted into the helicopter and he"s now on his way to South Hobart Hospital," Ms Jiggins told AAP.

Details of Kashima"s injuries would not be known until he was medically examined, Ms Jiggins said.

"He"s obviously complaining of a very sore back and that"s confirmed what he was telling us (rescue coordinators)," she said.

Kashima made a distress call via satellite phone at 2.25am (AEST) today to Japanese authorities, who alerted Australian officials.

He speaks no English and was communicating with local authorities via a Japanese interpreter in Hobart before rescuers arrived.

The disabled yacht was abandoned.

Its fate would depend on the owner, Ms Jiggins said.

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