Thames Coastguard is coordinating a search for a woman who went missing after a yacht was in collision with a dredger.

The crash occurred approximately 1 mile off
Felixstowe, yesterday afternoon.

One man on board the yacht was pulled to safety from the water, however the yacht’s female crew member remains unaccounted for.

The Felixstowe Coastguard Rescue Team, three lifeboats – two
from Harwich, one from Walton – two pilot boats, a dive boat, the search and
rescue helicopter from RAF Wattisham along with a number of other vessels in
the area are taking part in the search.

At 5.20pm yesterday, a Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman said the man who had beenrescued from the water had now been taken to hospital to be
checked over.

The spokesman said: ‘The other person on board the yacht – a woman – is still
unaccounted for. A large-scale search is still ongoing at this time.

‘We can confirm that the yacht sank soon after the collision.’

Rescuers continued searching yesterday evening andat least one lifeboat remained on scene to search throughout the night.

UPDATE: Monday 9 June 2014

Further
rescue resources have joined in the search again this morning,
including a Coastguard search and rescue helicopter, and two lifeboats -
one from Harwich and the other from Walton.

Harwich and
Walton lifeboats remain on scene this afternoon. They will be joined by a
dive team from Norfolk fire and rescue service.

Picture: A coastguard helicopter. Credit: Robby Norman/MCA