Stricken yacht sinks off the Lizard (From Falmouth Packet)

Stricken yacht sinks off the Lizard

2:34pm Friday 27th July 2012 in Helston By Greg Fountain, Reporter/Photographer

A yacht sank off the Lizard in the early hours of this morning while sailing back to Cornwall from France.

The 16-foot "Shira" lost power to her engines near Porthkerris before signalling Falmouth Coastguard for help.

A lifeboat was able to locate the vessel and retrieve a casualty, who was said to have suffered head injuries, before she sank completely.

A spokeswoman from Falmouth Coastguard said: "She was taking on water and she sank when they were towing her."

The submerged yacht's location is now pinpointed by a marker bouy for recovery at a later date.

"Everyone is well," the spokeswoman added.

UPDATE: It has been confirmed that this is the same vessel that left Falmouth and Penryn in June with the first "Packet post" for 160 years.

For the full story, see tomorrow's Packet (August 1)