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A CREWMAN on board a wooden fishing boat recreating
an historic voyage from Cornwall to Australia was expected to be
airlifted to hospital last night after breaking his leg when the vessel
was battered by a freak wave.
Adventurer
Pete Goss, leading the expedition, yesterday described injured
team-mate Mark Maidment as a "bloody hero", because of his stoic
outlook after becoming a casualty of a fierce storm.
A
huge wall of water struck the Spirit of Mystery during high winds and
heavy rains, knocking the boat over. It washed away the life-raft and
dinghy and caused some damage.
Mr
Goss said: "We had just come out of a storm that had lasted for
two-and-a-half days and given us a right old pasting when we were hit
by a freak wave. There was no warning, just a huge wall of water that
smashed into the boat rolling her more than 90 degrees on to her side.
"There
was carnage below with water everywhere, which got into the
communications systems. The boat was fantastic, though, and I wouldn't
have wanted to be in any other.
"She just shook herself off and came upright – but when she did, Mark's leg was broken."
The
sailors have been receiving medical advice via their support team in
Melbourne. They have made contact with the Australian Maritime Safety
Authority, which issued guidance and sent a search-and-rescue aircraft
out to drop supplies.
Mr
Maidment's leg is in a splint and he was taken below deck and given
morphine. He is expected to be airlifted from the boat at the next
opportunity.
Mr
Goss said: "Mark has been a bloody hero. It is a great shame for him,
especially so close to the end, but he is keen not to draw attention
away from the project, which is about shining a light on the bravery of
those seven Cornishmen who made this perilous journey 154 years ago to
seek a new life in the Victorian gold fields of Australia.
"They
didn't have the benefit of modern communications and safety equipment,
so this just goes to emphasise the depth of their achievement."
The
crew is retracing the voyage of Mystery, a fishing boat in which seven
Cornishmen sailed from Newlyn to Australia during the gold rush 154
years ago. It took them from November 1854 until March 1855 to reach
Australia. Mr Goss and his crew expect to reach Melbourne next week.
In
February 1855, Captain Richard Nicholls recorded in his log that the
Mystery had been hit by "a complete hurricane", with "seas mountains
high". He added: "Our gallant little vessel rode beautifully, not
shipping any water whatever."
Then another hurricane arrived with "mountains of sea and very heavy rain". There were even heavy showers of snow and sleet.
For more information on the voyage, visit www.petegoss.com
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