Watch: Sailing boat gets caught in Mediterranean cyclone
  • 6 years ago
A yacht got into trouble on Saturday off the coast of Greece when it was caught in a Mediterranean cyclone. The vessel was battered by strong winds and lost one of its sails while about six miles from the city of Patras. The crew didn't want to use the boat's motor because they were worried parts of the destroyed sail might be wrapped around the propeller.

The coastguard advised the crew to drift towards the port of Patras where better conditions would allow them to free the propeller and motor into port. A tugboat was on standby throughout but wasn't needed as the crew eventually made it to the port safely.

The boat was caught in a rare type of storm known as a "Medicane" which can develop in certain conditions over the Mediterranean Sea. The same storm brought swirling winds, rains and flash floods to parts of Greece on Saturday.
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