Teignmouth crabber, Etoile des Ondes lost in Channel.

Not the sort of news needed just before Christmas. French coastguards co-ordinated the rescue of three crewmen from the Teignmouth based Weymouth registered crabber Etoile des Ondes that sank around 2030 last night 20 miles off Cherbourg. Sadly, a fourth crew member is still missing. It is thought the boat may have been involved in a collision.

"The search for the young man disappeared have ended around 04h30 in the morning," said a spokesman of the prefecture. The fishing vessel, "The star of the waves," was at the time of the accident to 20 nautical (37 kilometers) north of Cherbourg in the rail level. Three of the four sailors were recovered from a life raft by a merchant vessel that had alerted the Cross Jobourg, after receiving a warning and saw a red flare distress.

The three sailors were transported to University Hospital by helicopter Pasteur Dragon 50 civil security. Two helicopters, Dolphin, Dragon 50, and Falcon aircraft the Navy has departed Lann-Bihoué (Morbihan) have researched some of the night to find the missing.

The circumstances of the sinking is not known, although the weather did not seem too difficult.

Story translated by Google courtesy of Le Figaro in France.