Scouse Hibee
10-05-2013, 10:03 AM
BRITISH double Olympic medallist Andrew Simpson died yesterday after his boat capsized off the California coast during a training session for the America’s Cup.
Simpson had been sailing on the Artemis Racing catamaran, Sweden’s entry in the race, when the 72ft (22 metre) vessel capsized in San Francisco Bay, according to a statement from his racing team.
It is believed Simpson, 36, from Sherborne in Dorset, was trapped under the boat for around ten minutes.
Despite frantic efforts by doctors to revive him with CPR, he was unable to be saved.
Simpson won the Olympic Star class gold with Iain Percy – his Artemis Racing team boss – in Beijing in 2008 and they took silver in London in 2012.
Simpson had been sailing on the Artemis Racing catamaran, Sweden’s entry in the race, when the 72ft (22 metre) vessel capsized in San Francisco Bay, according to a statement from his racing team.
It is believed Simpson, 36, from Sherborne in Dorset, was trapped under the boat for around ten minutes.
Despite frantic efforts by doctors to revive him with CPR, he was unable to be saved.
Simpson won the Olympic Star class gold with Iain Percy – his Artemis Racing team boss – in Beijing in 2008 and they took silver in London in 2012.