Olympian Andrew Simpson dies sailing

The GB Olympic sailor has died while carrying out a training exercise in America

By Nicole Hamer |

10:50 10 May 2013

Britain’s Andrew Simpson, the yachtsman who has represented his country at the Olympics, has died following a boating accident in San Francisco Bay, US.

The sailor, 36, from Doorset, was believed to be in training for the America’s Cup when the catamaran he was on capsized.

It is thought the Olympian may have been trapped for up to 10 minutes it has been reported, and he was unable to be revived.

A statement said: “It is with immense sadness that Artemis Racing confirms the tragic death of crewmember Andrew 'Bart' Simpson today in San Francisco.”

Adding: “Simpson, however, was trapped underneath the boat and despite attempts to revive him, by doctors afloat and subsequently ashore, his life was lost.”

The crew on board the catamaran with Andrew were reportedly put onto another boat following the tragic incident.
It is unclear what may have caused the vessel to capsize as of time of press.

Andrew claimed two Olympic medals for Great Britain, that being gold at the Beijing Olympics (2008), and silver at London 2012 where he fell just short of first position.

The America’s Cup is an inshore sailing competition that is to be hosted in San Francisco this year, commencing in July and lasting until September 2013. It was founded in the mid-19th Century.

San Francisco is located in the north of the American state of California. Other populous cities in the California include Los Angeles, San Diego and San Jose.