Nine sailors died in the accident and one was rescued.

Another account suggested that 11 other sailors may have eventually been rescued.

Western officials have said the Russian sailors were rescued about three to six hours before they would have run out of air.

Another 22 sailors were rescued immediately after the collision.

Two French sailors in the race were also rescued from other boats that foundered.

The remaining 32 sailors and one civilian naval architect are rescued the following day.

On another occasion, he told friends that he had rescued several Russian sailors.

Many sailors were rescued, eight bodies were recovered, with 97 missing.

Five sailors were also rescued from a 115-foot tugboat that sank off the Georgia coast this morning.

He could calm storms by prayer and had rescued countless sailors from drowning.