A British sailor whose yacht was sinking in the Arabian Sea sent a test message with his position to his son in Kent, leading to his rescue.
Karl Chavrat Sr. tried sending up flares and putting out an SOS message on the radio to no avail, The Mirror newspaper reported. His son, Karl Jr., notified the Thames Coastguard, which passed the father's position to rescue services in Oman.
An hour after the elder Chavrat sent the message, a helicopter arrived.
Chavrat was on a solo trip from Britain to Madagascar when he got into trouble.
"Twelve hours after I got the text I heard he was safe," the younger Chavrat said. "I was so relieved. He's had a lucky escape. He really loves the challenge of solo sailing but I'll be glad to get him back in one piece."
Text SOS call saves lone sailor's life
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