The family of a British sailor who disappeared after his boat capsized have stated that they are devastated by the tragedy. Charles Todd, 73, was a father of five and had sent out a distress call after his yacht was caught in fierce weather brought on by Storm Herminia in the Bay of Biscay. A French air force helicopter was released in an attempt to find him. Measures, including mobilising a Spanish hospital vessel and a Portuguese cargo ship were also undertaken, but Mr. Todd’s vessel the Tiger PA was found to be “eviscerated”.
The alert was flagged approximately 80km (50 miles) west of Lacanau at roughly 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT), according to Préfecture maritime de l’Atlantique. In a tribute, Nadine Gowan, Mr. Todd’s daughter said that they were sailing to the Caribbean via the Canary Islands when the accident happened. His family has described him as “a loving, charismatic, young-at-heart” and believed that he lived life to the fullest.
Mr. Todd was born in Ghana and moved to Manchester when he was young. He was a talented carpenter, a keen musician, and lived in Germany for 25 years, where he had his own joinery company. Mr. Todd returned to London in 2004 and was a profoundly valued member of the Greenwich Yacht Club for more than a decade. The family conveyed appreciation to the French rescue units and the British Consulate in Bordeaux.
The search was called off in the “early hours” of January 26 after teams were “unsuccessful in locating him.” In their statement, the family remarked that Mr. Todd was a beloved father, husband, uncle, brother, grandfather, and great-grandfather from London. The Préfecture Maritime de l’Atlantique said that the quest was placed on pause “due to a lack of new details.
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