Brit Rower Hit By Pacific Storm Is Rescued

A UK adventurer has been rescued by the Japanese coastguard after getting caught in a storm in the North Pacific which forced another Briton to give up her attempt to cross the ocean.

Coastguards were alerted after Charlie Martell from Cirencester and Sarah Outen from Rutland, rowing on separate solo treks across the Pacific, hit tropical storm Mawar.

Ms Outen, 26, was picked up by a patrol boat on Friday but the coastguard did not expect to reach Mr Martell, 41, until early on Saturday.

Mr Martell's boat, Blossom, was 680 miles (1,100km) away from Japan's northeastern coast. Ms Outen was 560 miles (900km) away from land when she signalled for help.

A Japanese coastguard official described the ocean in that area as "highly turbulent".

Mr Martell, a Territorial Army lieutenant, was kept under aerial surveillance while he waited for his rescuers to arrive.

According to his www.pacific2012.com website, he managed to establish contact with the coastguard early on.

On Thursday, the website reported: "Charlie is unhurt and still on-board Blossom.

"The storm has not yet subsided, although it appears to be past its peak and winds are soon expected to drop to more manageable levels."

Mr Martell, who set sail from Choshi, east of Tokyo, on May 5 bound for San Francisco, had been aiming to claim the record for the fastest crossing of the North Pacific.

His website said he planned to row "solo and unsupported" across the ocean, the biggest in the world.

Ms Outen was attempting to travel around the world using only human power - cycling, rowing and kayaking more than 20,000 miles (32,000km).

She embarked on her planned two-and-a-half year journey - called London2London - in April 2011 and was heading for Vancouver on the latest stage of her adventure in her boat Gulliver.

Her support team confirmed she was safely aboard the recovery vessel on Friday and was heading back to Japan.

A spokeswoman said it was too soon to think about re-commencing her global circuit and the priority would be for her to catch up on some sleep.

Her supporters also said she had made a request for her first meal back on land in Japan reading: "PANCAKES PLS. COLD OJ. GRAPES."

In 2009, Ms Outen became the first woman to row solo across the Indian Ocean.