Fears are mounting for a British sailor who fell from a yacht in the Pacific Ocean on Saturday night, almost 500 miles from land.

The Coast Guard said the 35-year-old man was conscious and wearing a life jacket when he fell into what are reported by to six-foot seas, but had not been found after more than 17 hours of searching. The Navy has been called in to help with the search.

A woman, also British and described as an inexperienced sailor, was hoisted from the ship by a rescue helicopter at 5 a.m. on Sunday.

A Coast Guard spokesman said it was unclear what caused him to fall overboard.

Click here for a report by the British newspaper The Guardian and click here for the official Coast Guard announcement.