Oarsman abandons Antarctica bid

An oarsman has given up his bid to become the first person to row around Antarctica and is returning to the UK.

Colin Yeates, 47, from Chandlers Ford, Hants, was rescued from his craft Charlie Rossiter after hitting heavy seas off the Falkland Islands.

It was the second failed attempt by the father-of-seven who had been planning the challenge for four years.

His craft packed with thousands of pounds of equipment, has been abandoned to the mercy of the Southern Ocean.

His first attempt ended in disaster on 4 January, after just 30 hours at sea.

His boat was dragged on to rocks in the Falkland Islands by strong currents.

The oarsman classed his Antarctic voyage as "the most difficult and hazardous circumnavigation of the globe."

He planned to send back data, which he wanted to be used in the study of global warming.