Seriously ill crewman on Dalton's yacht

A medical emergency on Grant Dalton's round-the-world yacht Amer Sports One is proving a challenge to agencies wanting to provide help.

American trimmer Keith Kilpatrick, 40, is seriously ill with a stomach complaint. Amer Sports One's on-board doctor Roger Nilson has put Kilpatrick on a saline drip and is administering antibiotics and morphine but the yacht's limited supplies are running out.

The yacht is 1500 nautical miles southwest of Australia in the Southern Ocean and well out of range of rescue aircraft.

Volvo Race headquarters in Southampton said the Australian Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre had been alerted and the Australian Coastguard had been asked for assistance.

Amer Sports One is the only yacht of the seven racing in the second leg from Cape Town to Sydney to carry a doctor.

Amer Sports One is 196 nautical miles behind race leader SEB. The nearest boat is News Corp which is 155 nautical miles ahead. Amer Sports Too is 422 nautical miles behind Amer Sports One.

Race headquarters said the Australian Search and Rescue Authority was looking at all the options available to assist Kilpatrick and his concerned crewmates.

Dr Nilson has competed in this race five times and is in regular contact with medical advisers in the United Kingdom.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokesman David Gray said Kilpatrick's condition had deteriorated overnight but the yacht was believed to carry enough medical supplies and saline for another 24 to 48 hours.

"This is not a critical situation although I understand he is not a well man."

Mr Gray would not predict what would happen if medical supplies ran out. He said authorities would probably have to rescue Kilpatrick from the yacht but that was still a couple of days away.

"We are attempting to contact any ships in the area but that might be a problem because they are pretty well below shipping lanes."

An Australian air force Orion would take six hours to get to the yacht in its present position.

"But they are making 300 to 350 miles a day so they are closing in pretty quickly."

Mr Gray said the yacht would have to be within 200 miles of the Australian coast for the crewman to be evacuated by helicopter.

- NZPA