Missing Sailor Found One Month After Chile Quake

A Gold Coast Australia man who was feared lost at sea after the 8.8-magnitude Chile earthquake has been found after 44 days missing at sea.

Mitchell Westlake, a 23-year-old former Navy officer was feared drowned by his family and friends, but this morning he called his grandfather to say he was safe and well.

Mr. Westlake was on a training cruise when his boat became becalmed more than 1,000 miles off the coast of Chile, unaware of the devastating earthquake.

Apparently, Mr. Westlake and those aboard his vessel had no idea there was a tsunami or an earthquake until they hit port.

Chilean authorities launched a search for the 16-metre yacht SS Columbia, which left Salinas, Ecuador, on January 16 on a sailing course.  But, despite a major search there were no sightings or contact from the crew until now.

The yacht was expected to dock at the Chilean city of Coquimbo between February 24 and 27, the day the earthquake struck.