Couple stranded after boat struck by lightning

Mr Beech said he was not sure what would have happened had the couple been on deck when the lightning struck

A couple say they have been left stranded after their yacht was struck by lightning causing £36,000 worth of damage.

Mike Beech, 63, and his wife Helen, 61, from Lowestoft, Suffolk, said they were moored off a small island in the Bahamas when the storm hit on 23 March.

The pair heard an "almighty bang" when the bolt hit.

They are now in a race against time to leave the Caribbean when hurricane season hits in June.

Mr and Mrs Beech had been sailing across the world through their retirement

“I never want to experience anything like that again," Mr Beech said.

“It’s really scary at the moment because all the other boats are racing back to the US to get out of the hurricane and tropical storm belt and we’re stuck here.

“I have never seen an electrical storm like it.

“But we’re alive, because I’m not sure what would have happened if we had been on deck.”

Mr and Mrs Beech had been getting ready for supper when they saw a powerful flash of white and blue hit their 38ft (11.5m) yacht.

The bolt was captured by other boaters who were more than 1,000ft (308m) away.

This lightning bolt was believed to have hit the couple's yacht

The result of the hit left the boat's electrical equipment destroyed meaning they are unable to move it.

The GPS system, autopilot, depth sounder, speed log, and close-hauled gauge have all fried, as well as the alternator and electrical relays, Mr Beech said.

They fear their retirement dream of sailing around the world could be finished should the boat be written off.

“I had no idea that it would be so expensive," Mr Beech added.

A friend has launched a fundraiser to get them back on their feet to pay for repairs as well as renewing crucial visas and boat permits.

It is hoped this will help them move the boat before hurricane season hits.

Prior to the hit they had planned to sail on to New Zealand to see their son Charlie.

“We were just passing through here, we weren’t meant to stay,” said Mr Beech.

“Maybe it wasn’t meant to be and my mother is up there laughing at me.”