The family of a father-of-five from London who went missing after his boat capsized off the coast of France have said they are “heartbroken by this sudden loss”.
Londoner Charles Todd, 73, set off a distress beacon amid stormy conditions on January 25 around 50 miles west of France, having previously told a cargo ship he was safe after not responding to radio messages.
A French Air Force helicopter was sent to try and find Mr Todd but instead only found his 12-metre yacht, the Tiger PA, in the Bay of Biscay.
French officials said a Portuguese cargo ship and a Spanish hospital vessel were both diverted to the area to help look for the father.
Officials added that the distress call was detected around 50 miles west of Lacanau at about 3pm local time (2pm GMT).
The search for Mr Todd was called off the next day after divers who hoisted down to the yacht found no sign of the father, according to the Prefecture Maritime de l’Atlantique.
His daughter Nadine Gowan told the BBC that Mr Todd was sailing to the Caribbean when the tragedy occurred.
She described him as someone who “lived life to the full and was “loving, charismatic, young-at-heart”.
Born in Ghana, Ms Gowan said her father moved to Manchester when he was young and lived in Germany for more than two decades before returning to London in the 2000s.
The north of Spain and western France were belted by heavy rain and wind during January’s Storm Herminia.
