American Sailor Rescued Off Chilean Coast

An American trying to sail around the world alone was rescued early Friday after drifting three days on his disabled yacht in treacherous seas off the southern tip of South America.

Ken Barnes was picked up shortly before 6 a.m. EST by the trawler Polar Pesca 1, the Chilean navy's Operations Department reported in Punta Arenas.

Barnes, 47, was in good condition, said an officer who asked not to be identified in line with the department's rules.

Two hours after being rescued, Barnes called his family at his condo. He said his right leg, which was reported to have a deep gash to the bone, was fine.

"I love you. I'm on the fishing boat headed for Punta Arenas, and I'm OK and everything's OK," he said in a calm voice.

A navy plane guided the trawler to the disabled yacht, using a flare fired by Barnes as its beacon. At first the pilots only saw the flare. Then they spotted sailor wearing a yellow jacket and waving to the plane. The trawler sent four men on an inflatable boat to pick up the sailor.

Barnes' mother, June Dee Linn, broke into tears of relief on learning of the rescue. "I'm just picturing him on the ship and being grateful that he's been picked up," she said before receiving his phone call.

When he called, his mother, his 21-year-old twin daughters and his longtime girlfriend huddled around the cell phone, trying to make out his words over a broken connection that lasted less than two minutes.

"I've taken a shower and everything feels better," he told them. He said he hoped that once on land, he would take a helicopter to the nearest airport and fly home within a few days.

Barnes' sister Teri Ashurst said she was "feeling great."

"I was very fearful of this trip, but I was very supportive of his quest. It's his dream, not mine," she said.

Barnes girlfriend Cathy Chambers told CBS News Early Show co-anchor Russ Mitchell that the Chilean authorities hadn't yet told her when she might see him, but she hoped it would be "as soon as possible."

"I'm still scared cause I want to see him, but I'm so excited, and I'm so thankful," Chambers said, appearing on the Early Show with Barnes' two grown twin daughters Teryn and Brittney.

Teryn Barnes told Mitchell the family "really wants to talk to him and confirm that he's okay, and make sure that his leg's okay, cause it was cut pretty bad."

Barnes's ketch, named Privateer, had been spotted early Wednesday by one of two planes sent by the navy from central Chile. The planes continued flying over the area to help guide the trawler toward the ketch.

Barnes' attempt to sail around the world was interrupted when his 44-foot ketch hit a storm that broke both its masts and soaked the sailor's supplies and food. The ketch also lost its engine power.

Barnes, 47, set off from Long Beach, Calif., on Oct. 28.

According to his Web site, Barnes had planned his trip for several years.

"For many years, probably from the age of 10, I have liked the solitude of sailing, the adventure, the adrenaline associated with the chance encounter of the unknown," he said.

Asked on The Early Show what she would say if Barnes said he was going to try for his sailing record again, she said laughed and said, "gonna chain him to something over here and we're gonna have something called tough love with the family."