Rockall adventurer may abandon attempt

Rockall adventurer may be forced to abandon attempt 2/7/14

Adventurer Nick Hancock Nick Hancock may be forced to halt his attempt to stay on Rockall after essential supplies were washed away in a storm.

High seas driven by Force 8 winds crashed over the rock for several hours taking away four barrels of rations on Wednesday morning.

The Edinburgh-based chartered surveyor will make a final decision later on what his options are after he has spoken to cruise boat operator, Angus Campbell, who took him to Rockall.

The operator was understood to be on a voyage to St Kilda and immediately uncontactable.

Nick, who is on day 28 of his attempt to get into the record books and raise funds for the armed forces charity Help For Heroes, told his team: "It may be that I have lost barrels with more than two weeks of supplies. If that is the case, I may be unable to continue for 60 days as I had planned."

The current record for a solo occupation of Rockall is 40 days set by Tom McClean in 1995. Three members of Greenpeace also stayed on for 42 days in 1997.

Stornoway coastguard said that Force 8 winds had been forecast in the Rockall area last night.