A family of four whose yacht hit an iceberg in the south Atlantic are being taken to the Falkland Islands after being rescued by a warship.
Carl Lomas and Tracey Worth, of Chelmerton, Derbyshire, were sailing to Cape Town with their two teenage daughters Caitland and Morgause.
They got into difficulties 300 miles north-east of South Georgia on Friday.
They were rescued by the crew of HMS Clyde. The family were not injured, a Coastguard spokesman said.
They are expected to reach the Falkland Islands – which are 1,000 miles away – by the middle of next week.
Engine failure
According to their online blog, the couple had been sailing since March 2007.
It said they had left from Ipswich and visited Santander, Cape St Vincent, Salvador, Buenos Aires, Robinson Crusoe Island, Cape Horn, and recently South Georgia.
They had been sailing to South Africa when their yacht hit a low-lying iceberg known as a "growler" which is difficult to see because most of the ice mass is below the surface.
The 60ft-long (18m) yacht Hollinsclough had taken on water and suffered engine failure.
Falmouth Coastguard picked up their emergency signal north-east of South Georgia and HMS Clyde, which was 200 miles (320km) south of their position, was sent to rescue them.
Outgoing Marine Engineer Officer Lt Robert Satterley said: "When we approached the yacht, we were relieved to see that there were four people alive and well.
"The yacht had sustained severe damage and lay low in the water and it was clear that the family had been through quite an ordeal.
"Unfortunately nothing could be done to save the yacht and we were just glad to get them back to the ship safely."
‘Similar to Titanic’
A Coastguard spokesman said: "All four are safe and well now and on their way to the Falklands.
"They are okay, but I would imagine they are a bit shaken."
He said "growler" icebergs are particularly dangerous because "hardly any" of the ice is visible.
He added: "It is very similar to what the Titanic hit.
"You can track them by radar or visual lookout, but you can’t see them all."
Hannah Turner, from the Church Inn pub in Chelmorton, said the couple – who go by the names of Lord and Lady Hollinsclough – were rarely seen in the village.
She said: "They don’t really stay in the village that much so nobody really knows them."
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