Saturday morning sea rescue.

Christopher Chiarello, Robert Thertault and Robert Moore were among seven sailors plucked from the stormy seas this weekend, with two boats issuing distress signals in the wake of Hurricane Mitch.

The Americans' yacht -- the Domus -- was abandoned after a harrowing experience in the heavy waters.

And the crew of another yacht Kampeska will accompany their captain on an airlift back to the US -- after all four were winched to safety by a coast guard helicopter.

Roy Olsen, from South Dakota, will be taken today to Baltimore, Maryland, for back surgery after braving heavy seas on Friday.

The crew -- Mr. Olsen's wife, brother, and sister-in-law -- have been staying with a local family.

Mr. Chiarello, the captain of the Domus , said he and his crew are happy to be alive after a day-long ordeal at sea in the 41ft Morgan ketch.

Mr. Chiarello, of Boston, said he had contacted the boat's owner, his uncle, and passed on the bad news that his prized boat had been abandoned at sea.

"The crew of the St. David pilot boat were excellent,'' Mr. Chiarello said yesterday at the Bermuda Sailor's Home in Hamilton. "They tried three times during a five hour tow but the tow line kept breaking.'' He added: "It was too much danger for me and my crew and the Marine and Ports crew. I decided to abandon the tow. She's still out there somewhere.'' Mr. Chiarello said they left Buzzard's Bay, Massachusetts, on November 1 and ran into the rough weather on Thursday night.

"There were huge waves every forty seconds for more than 12 hours before we made contact,'' he said. "I had been making distress calls throughout the day before that guy in the plane said `go ahead Domus'.'' He said the voyage had gone from bad to worse when it was discovered an emergency beacon had malfunctioned, fuel had run out, and crewman Mr.

Thertault, had been hit on the head by a lamp.

Mr. Chiarello and crewman Mr. Moore lashed an unsinkable dinghy to their stricken yacht and held on for dear life as they were pummelled.

Mr. Moore, also of Massachusetts, said the time between contacting the Coast Guard aircraft and waiting while it dealt with the Kampeska was the lowest point he had ever been to.

Mr. Chiarello said making a Mayday call had been distressing. But the happiest moment came when the C130 pilot finally gave them his undivided attention.

"We broke down,'' Mr. Chiarello said. "I can't believe I'm drinking a beer now.'' The men said they had prepared for abandoning ship and rescuing each other in the heavy seas but kept private their thoughts of not surviving.

Mr. Moore said: "I was prepared for leaving. I had a bag packed but when we decided to get on the St. David I took one glance and said `no way!'.'' The men were keen to express their thanks to the Coast Guard, Bermuda Harbour Radio and the crew of the pilot boat.

"I don't know the names, everything is such a blur,'' Mr. Chiarello said.

"But we owe them our lives. You look at things much differently now.'' "Any sailors in trouble out there would want to have it near Bermuda.'' Yachtsmen plucked from seas in dramatic rescue He added: "People have been wonderful to us. I don't think anywhere else does it like here.'' Mr. Chiarello explained his crew had been provided with clothes and food from private donations and had nothing but praise for the Sailors Home representative John Dale.

"People keep saying we are heroes but we are not,'' Mr. Thertault said.

Mr. Thertault has a wife and daughter in San Diego, California, but is from Boston. The other men are single.

Mr. Moore said he was impressed by the Marine and Ports crew's professionalism and Bermudian generosity.

"Our rescuers are the ones who deserve the credit,'' he said. "I'm a changed man. Little things are not so important now.'' Mr. Chiarello said the men were ferrying the yacht to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands and he would like to try and find it to finish his mission.

"I think I will have to find a new crew though,'' he said.

"Oh yes!'' his crew -- with whom he has family connections -- exclaimed in reply.

Mrs. Olsen also thanked the rescue services and hospital staff for their assistance in treating her husband's injuries.

Yachtsmen plucked from seas in dramatic rescue He added: "People have been wonderful to us. I don't think anywhere else does it like here.'' Mr. Chiarello explained his crew had been provided with clothes and food from private donations and had nothing but praise for the Sailors Home representative John Dale.

"People keep saying we are heroes but we are not,'' Mr. Thertault said.

Mr. Thertault has a wife and daughter in San Diego, California, but is from Boston. The other men are single.

Mr. Moore said he was impressed by the Marine and Ports crew's professionalism and Bermudian generosity.

"Our rescuers are the ones who deserve the credit,'' he said. "I'm a changed man. Little things are not so important now.'' Mr. Chiarello said the men were ferrying the yacht to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands and he would like to try and find it to finish his mission.

"I think I will have to find a new crew though,'' he said.

"Oh yes!'' his crew -- with whom he has family connections -- exclaimed in reply.

Mrs. Olsen also thanked the rescue services and hospital staff for their assistance in treating her husband's injuries.