UK sailor saves residents on Kanton Islands from starvation

A BRITISH sailor who stopped off at a remote island in the South Pacific found the inhabitants starving after a supply ship expected four months ago failed to turn up.

Alex Bond was delivering a yacht from Hawaii to Australia when he stopped off at Kanton Island – a narrow ribbon of land enclosing a lagoon with an area of 40 square kilometres.

He was met by 24 islanders who had been living on a minimal diet of coconuts and fish for months.

The sailor, from Cornwall, gave them some of his supplies and contacted the UK Coastguard, who were last night working with US authorities to drop more food on the island.