With the helicopter and lifeboat on site, Stena Nordica was able to continue its journey to Fishguard.

Cedwyn Rogers from the RNLI said: “This is the first time I’ve heard of an emergency response being initiated by a personal smart device, so it was an exciting shout out to the crew, demonstrating how useful the technology can be.

“If the accident had been a lone sailor, this would have been the only alert received.

“We would like to take this opportunity to wish the victim a speedy recovery and remind all water users to ensure they have the appropriate communication equipment for their activity and journey and this should be kept handy at all times moment”.