Airlift likely for sick yachtie

By SCOTT MacLEOD

Australian rescue services are considering winching a sick crewman from Grant Dalton's round-the-world race yacht.

A Royal Australian Air Force Orion yesterday dropped medical supplies for American crewman Keith Kilpatrick on Amer Sports One. Kilpatrick has a suspected blocked intestine.

Dalton's yacht is one of seven on the second leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Cape Town to Sydney.

The Orion dropped seven boxes of salty fluid, morphine and other supplies at 2 am, as the yacht cruised 2400km southwest of Australia.

Kilpatrick cannot hold down any drink and needs the salty fluid to maintain hydration. Late yesterday his condition was stable.

Australian Search and Rescue spokesman Ben Mitchell said it was looking more likely that Kilpatrick would be taken off the yacht.

He could be winched from the yacht next week when it came within helicopter range of Australia - about 220km - or taken onto a nearby ship.

Squadron Leader Ian Roberts emailed Dalton before yesterday's Air Force drop, telling him what to expect - white and orange-striped "heliboxes".

"We kick it out the cabin door as we fly over. We will aim to drop it as close to you as possible, down your track, so you can easily retrieve it."

The ocean race website said Dalton tried to order a Big Mac burger to be dropped by the Orion, but it had already taken off.