Firefighters rescued a United Kingdom sailor stranded in the middle of East Herts Lake. For 45 minutes the skipper who was sailing on the private lake as a member of the Hertford County Yacht Club and had gone out sailing on his own, was perched on top of the boat after capsizing in freezing conditions. The mast had become stuck in the mud at the bottom of what had been a former gravel pit, making it impossible for the sailor to right his boat. Twelve firefighters from Ware and Hatfield arrived at the scene at 3:15 pm local time. Although the fire engines carried inflatable dinghies, they used a boat already moored on the lake to effect the rescue. Fishermen on the shore heard Mr. Duncan's cries and notified the firemen. Paramedics thought he may have been suffering from hypothermia, but he declined treatment at a nearby hospital. Freezing and shivering, Mr. Duncan, who was wearing a dry suit, was given a cup of tea.