Bermuda Radio, US Coast Guard team up for rescue

Bermuda Radio received a report early yesterday morning that a 22-year-old Latvian man had sustained serious burns as a result of a cooking oil accident while aboard a ship located around 360 miles north east of Bermuda.

The Clipper Legacy, a chemical ship, was en route from Montreal, Canada to St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands when the incident occurred.

Because of the extent of the man's injuries, Bermuda Radio contacted the US Coast Guard in Norfolk, Virginia, requesting assistance in examining the condition of the patient.

A USCG C-130 airplane and a helicopter landed at LF Wade International Airport.

At around 9.40 a.m. the helicopter returned to Bermuda with the victim. At around 10.15 a.m., he was transported via the C-130 to Norfolk to be treated at a burns unit.

As of last night, the condition of the man was not known. Clipper Legacy is registered in the Bahamas and is understood to have continued on to its destination.

Stricken skipper saved by cruise ship

A yacht whose skipper took ill while travelling from Newport, Rhode Island, to Bermuda safely sailed into St. George's on Friday night with her remaining two crew.

The 58-year-old captain of Arabesques suffered a suspected heart attack on Thursday afternoon when the 47-foot sailing boat was about 90 miles north of the Island.

Fortunately one of the three crew on board was a doctor who, in consultation with a King Edward VII Memorial Hospital physician, was able to stabilise the skipper until other assistance could be found.

He was transferred onto the Norwegian Majesty cruise ship — which had just departed Bermuda after its final voyage here this year — just after 9.30 p.m. on Thursday night to receive medical attention.

The skipper was diagnosed with a blocked artery and fluid on the lung and was said to be in a stable condition on Friday and due to undergo further tests. The Norwegian Majesty is heading for Charleston, South Carolina.

Arabesques' two remaining crew members continued on course for Bermuda and arrived at St. George's at about 7.45 p.m on Friday. A duty officer at Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre said the pair were "tired but otherwise safe and well".

Driver injured in crash

A motorist was taken to hospital after apparently losing control of his car in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The 39-year-old man, from Pembroke, was travelling east along South Road in Southampton when he crashed into a ditch negotiating a bend near the junction with Horseshoe Road.

Police attended the scene at about 3.30 a.m. and the man was taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for treatment for lacerations to his left hand. The car he was driving, a silver Peugeot, was extensively damaged.

Tourist fined for having cannabis

An American tourist admitted to having "joints" stuffed in her bra when she arrived in Bermuda.

Donna Marie Hauck arrived at the LF Wade International Airport on Sunday at 3.06 p.m. on a commercial flight from Newark, Magistrates' Court heard from Crown counsel Larissa Burgess on Friday. She cleared immigration and when she was standing in line for Customs, a sniffer dog alerted an officer to her and she was pulled from the line and her luggage searched.

The 48-year-old was asked if she was carrying narcotics and she said "no". Her tote bag was searched and officers found plant-like residue.

Hauck said: "It could be marijuana. That's my beach bag."

The officer pulled her into the office for a personal search and asked her again if she was carrying any illegal drugs. She said no again but an officer found a homemade cigarette inside her shirt.

Hauck then said: "I have some joints in my bra. Be kind. If you give me a stern warning, I'll never do it again."

She was arrested at the Airport Police station after officers found six homemade cigarettes inside her bra containing plant-like material. Hauck was bailed to appear in court.

On analysis the cigarettes were found to contain 2.02 grams of the controlled drug cannabis. In court, the defendant said: "I'm very sorry sir. I made a huge mistake."

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner gave her a $1,500 fine to be paid immediately.

Man hurt in accident

Police are investigating a road traffic accident on Thursday morning which sent one man to hospital with lacerations to his legs.

At 7 a.m. on Thursday, Police attended the reported collision at the junction of Middle Road and Granaway Heights Road in Southampton involving a car and a motorcycle. It appears that the car was exiting Granaway Heights Road turning right on to Middle Road and the motorcycle was travelling west on Middle Road when the vehicles collided. The rider of the motorcycle, a 46-year-old Devonshire man was taken to hospital via ambulance for treatment. The driver of the car, a 64-year-old Southampton woman, was not injured.

BA offers seat sale

British Airways is offering round-trip flights from Bermuda to London, including a one or two night stay in a hotel in the heart of the UK capital, for $474.

The seat sale runs until midnight this Tuesday and is good for travel from November 20 until December 18 and for flights between December 24 and March 23 next year.

The central London hotels involved in the offer include the four-star Park Inn Hyde Park. The two-nights for free in a hotel is based on two people sharing, for single occupancy the offer is for one free night.

The fare price does not include Government fees and taxes and fuel surcharge.

Travellers should go to the BA website page www.ba.com/londonforfreebm to find the offer or call BA on 1-800 AIRWAYS.