Rescue off Channel Islands features in documentary

A passenger ferry and an RNLI vessel which went to the aid of a French yacht in trouble at sea have featured in a BBC documentary series.

The RNLI and Brittany Ferries' Condor Voyager, which was diverted while en route St Malo from St Helier, helped rescued the yacht in July 2025 after its skipper fell ill.

The rescue was broadcast on 8 September in the new series of the BBC Two documentary Saving Lives at Sea, which follows RNLI crews and lifeguards at more than 30 lifeboat stations around the UK and Ireland, combining rescue footage with crew and survivor interviews.

RNLI Jersey coxswain Gibby Gordon said the "incident was a good example of effective teamwork at sea".

The ferry launched its rescue boat so crew could board the yacht and "provide immediate casualty care" before the RNLI's all-weather lifeboat arrived 30 minutes later.

The RNLI said the yacht was about eight miles (12.8 km) to the west of Corbière lighthouse, and the rescue call was made by the daughters of the skipper, who was unwell and unable to sail the yacht into St Helier.

He later made a full recovery.

Capt Pierre Hingant, master of Voyager on the day, said conditions were challenging, with Force 6 winds and 2m (6.6ft) high waves, but it was "very much a team effort".

Erwann Gabriel, Brittany Ferries' fleet and ports director, said he was "incredibly proud of the entire Voyager team", but especially crew members Julien Le Gal, Valentin Abbé and Clément Touzé for the "valuable part" they played in the rescue.

"Their professionalism and courage reflect the very best of seafaring spirit," Gabriel said.

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