Rescued sailor sends out second call - for a tow

The yacht off Taranaki

A rescued French sailor who went back to his yacht against coastguard advice asked for help again yesterday - which turned out to be a tow into port.

Daniel Le Meur, 54, and his 19-year-old daughter, Morgane, were rescued from their damaged 13-metre sloop, Xiphos, off the coast of Taranaki on Monday.

They returned to the yacht, drifting 50km offshore, with the coastguard on Tuesday, in the hope of towing it back to Port Taranaki.

When the attempt failed, Mr Le Meur refused to leave the Xiphos and the coastguard was forced to leave him drifting in stormy seas.

He drifted south and was last night being towed by a commercial fishing boat to Admiralty Bay in the Marlborough Sounds.

Mr Le Meur earlier set off his emergency beacon and a rescue helicopter was sent from Wellington to his location, 40km north of D'Urville Island.

The helicopter had almost reached the yacht when the Rescue Co-ordination Centre made radio contact with Mr Le Meur and established he was not in any danger, but did require a tow.

Centre spokesman Steve Corbett said Mr Le Meur was aware a tow was his own responsibility. The RCCNZ would approach Mr Le Meur's insurance company to seek payment for the cost of deploying the helicopter, he said.

Mr Le Meur and his daughter set sail from New Caledonia on December 23 and on Monday hit stormy weather that shredded the mainsail. The yacht then ran out of fuel and they radioed for help.

The yacht insurance will pay Taranaki Coastguard for the cost of the attempted salvage on Tuesday.

Taranaki Coastguard president Allen Butt said Ms Le Meur wanted to rejoin her father on the yacht but he refused to let her because conditions were too dangerous.