CORNISH YACHTSMAN SAVES ISLAND

When Cornish yachtsman, Alex Bond stooped off at a small Island in between Hawaii and Fiji on his way to deliver a 33ft yacht to Australia he had no idea that he was about to become a hero. When he arrived at Kanton Island he discovered 14 adults and 10 children, the only inhabitants, desperate and hungry.

According to reports, their supply ship was stuck on another island and the atoll dwellers had been surviving on a diet of caught fish and coconuts. Alex immediately contacted Falmouth Coastguard who then got in touch with USA coastguards and Honolulu authorities.

Falmouth Coastguard Watch Assistant, Richard Williams, said, 'The British sailor has given the islanders all the supplies that he can spare from his 33 foot yacht... We are now working with the Americans to drop supplies or land on the island. As the island was used by the Americans and the British during the war it does have a runway... We don't normally get requests like these from British sailors, but hopefully we will be able to help the islanders to get the supplies that they need. So far, we have been given a shopping list of provisions such as cooking fat, rice, sugar and flour which we have passed on to the Americans.'

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