Mystery leg-break sailor waits for rescue

9:43 PM Fri 6 Mar 2009 GMT

'Spirit of Mystery after the incident occurred - waiting for Victorian Police boat' .

A crew member who broke his leg sailing from the UK to Australia has been reached by coast guard and paramedics. Mark Maidment, 44, broke his leg on Tuesday after Spirit of Mystery was struck by freak weather off Kangeroo Island, near southern Australia.

Sarah Haskett from the Coast Guard said a rescue vessel had reached the ship about 7am (AEDT) and treated crewman Mark Maidment, 44, who had a broken leg.

'I got an update saying the rescue vessel had reached them and that two paramedics were put on board and the guy is apparently stable and in good spirits,'' Ms Haskett said.

The 37ft Spirit of Mystery, skippered by well-known sailing hero and Cornishman Pete Goss and crewed by members of his family, was recreating an historic voyage from Cornwall to Melbourne when it was hit by a large wave around 10.30am on Wednesday morning, rolling her more than 90 degrees onto her side.

Pete Goss - .. .

The incident occurred about 300 nautical miles from Kangaroo Island in South Australia.

Although the ship could still sail after the incident it was limited to sailing at four nautical miles an hour, leaving Mr Maidment in extreme pain for days, but treated with morphine.

Earlier attempts to evacuate Mr Maidment were hampered by bad weather.

Ship spokesman Stuart Elford said Mr Maidment's wife landed in Melbourne today.

'He has also got a son and a daughter, they are OK. They understand that he is now comfortable and is going to be alright. Obviously they were very worried for a while,'' Mr Elford said.

'Having a broken leg is bad at anytime, but having that in a storm where you have lost all your lifesaving equipment is pretty bad too,'' he said.

The Spirit of Mystery, a specially built wooden Cornish lugger, left Cornwall in October last year to recreate the voyage of Cornishmen who sought out a new life in the Australian goldfields 154 years ago.

It is now expected to reach Williamstown, near Melbourne, on Tuesday or Wednesday.

by BW Roundup

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