Virginia couple feared missing at sea are safe after sailboat hits dangerous weather

A Virginia couple feared missing after they hit dangerous weather as they sailed to the Portuguese islands of Azores has been found safe and sound.

Yanni Nikopoulos and Dale Jones, both 65 years old and from Virginia Beach, radioed the Coast Guard in Virginia on Friday, telling watch standers they were unscathed and headed for home. They were about 80 miles east of Chincoteague at the time, but they were not in distress nor did they need any assistance, according to a press release from the agency.

Dale Jones and Yanni Nikopoulos are fine.

The couple set sail from Hampton, Va., on June 8 for the Azores Islands, an archipelago in the mid-Atlantic located about 800 miles off the coast of Portugal. Days later they got caught up in a storm and phoned Jones’ daughter, explaining their 36-foot-sailboat — nicknamed Kyklades — was struck by lightning and that they intended to reverse course.

Jones’ daughter desperately awaited their return, but ultimately reached out to authorities when their boat failed to arrive at its home port in Hampton. She said she had not heard from them in five days.

The couple were reported missing on Tuesday by the Coast Guard, sparking a search spanning the mid-Atlantic. They said they managed to rig a spare sail and that they should make it back to Virginia Beach without additional issues.

With News Wire Services