some 400 miles south southeast of Bermuda.

The Hedda was en route from the Panama Canal to Europe.

Two US Coast Guard C-130 aircraft scoured the seas in vain yesterday, with the help of the Hedda and three other freighters.

A Harbour Radio spokesman said: "We have been broadcasting, telling ships transiting the area to be on the look out.

"One of the things in the man's favour is the water temperature. It is about 75 degrees Fahrenheit. There is good reason to believe that if he is able to float he can survive quite a while.''