A FORMER Teignmouth lifeboat helmsman was involved in a dramatic rescue when a yacht went aground in the Java Sea.

Chris Connell is taking part in an around the world race, and his vessel was close-by when another of the competitors hit a reef, near an island about 200 miles from Jakarta.

All the crew of the stricken yacht, Cork, were rescued, and Mr Connell used all his years of nautical experience to assess the state of the damage.

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