Rescuers called off the search for the skipper of a yacht found beached on the Isle of Wight with its engine still running but with no one on board.
Despite a large-scale air, land and sea search, the sailor — named by police as 46-year-old Hany Nabil Mustapha — has yet been found.
The alarm was raised on Saturday evening when a member of the public found his small yacht “Brigand” beached with one of its sails up.
Mustapha, from south-west London, only bought the vessel on Saturday and set sail from Poole Yacht Club in Dorset later in the day. He stated that Hayling Island, near Portsmouth, was his intended destination.
A search involving two Coastguard helicopters and RNLI lifeboats was launched after his boat was discovered.
A Solent Coastguard spokesman said: “The search has been suspended but if we get any new information that prompts us to an area then we will recommence a search.”
Rescuers call off search for missing sailor
