Three days of mourning has been declared in Formentera after three Belgian sailors died yesterday morning after the yachts on which they were sailing with three other crew members was smashed against the rocks by the unexpected gale force winds.
The 11-metre yacht called Be Happy was caught by the three metre waves and strong winds just after 7a.m and smashed against the rocks near Es Calo.
The six crew on board, all Belgian, had moored up just off the coast for the night on Thursday and the yacht was still at anchor when it was currently caught in the storm.
Such was the ferocity of the storm and the impact against the rocks that three of the crew died in the accident while three others, who suffered minor injuries, managed to scramble clear and to safety on shore. First on the scene were local residents who rescued the three survivors and looked after them until an air sea rescue helicopter reached the scene to air lift them to hospital.