Mystery of captain abandoned on yacht

Hands tied behind his back, a British skipper stands alone on the deck of his yacht as it drifts 100 miles off the Spanish coast.

Spike Sellers, 32, was found by rescuers in a highly distressed state and suffering severe dehydration.

But how he came to be like that is less clear. On Wednesday morning, Spanish authorities received an SOS call from the vessel, the Argo. A helicopter was sent and rescuers hoisted two crew - a man and a woman - from the deck.

But it was not until they neared land that they mentioned there was still another person on board.

Ivan Holroyd, 34, and Rachel Rosen, 31, both from North Wales, claimed Mr Sellers had gone berserk and tried to kill them and sink the 36ft yacht. Too low on fuel to make another journey, the helicopter flew out again the next day, eventually locating the yacht and rescuing Mr Sellers just after midnight yesterday.

It later emerged that the two crew members - who set sail with Mr Sellers from Muros, northern Spain - may have had to tie him up to save their lives.

It is unclear whether they knew him, or had just chartered the boat, which has now been towed back into port. A police spokesman in nearby La Coruna said: 'The facts are still unclear and it's all very strange.

'But we do know the passengers radioed for help and after they were airlifted off, mentioned a third person was still on board.

'They said he was the captain and they had had to raise the alarm after he went mad and tried to sink the boat.

'A rescue boat was sent out to look for him but he was in a pretty bad way physically with dehydration and psychologically it seems as if he wasn't at all well.'

Last night Mr Sellers, from Fort William in the Highlands, was released from hospital and taken to a police station in the town of Burela for questioning.

Police have already taken statements from Mr Holroyd, of Llanberis, and Miss Rosen, from Llanddeiniolen, both near Caernarfon.

All three are expected to go before an investigating judge today.