Griff Rhys Jones involved in yacht fire

Comic Griff Rhys Jones was left to swim in shark-infested waters for 30 minutes after his yacht caught fire near the Galapagos Islands off South America.

Jones and his wife Jo were among a group of 17 people that were forced to abandon ship after a blaze started in the engine room, reports The Mirror.

Ten minutes before the fire, MV Barranda's captain told the passengers that hammerhead sharks were in the waters.

"Everyone laughed but they were not quite so jolly when they were swimming for their lives," said a source. "There was a huge sense of panic, especially as you could barely see in front of you because of the smoke. Griff was at the stern of the boat and Jo was at the bow and they lost each other for a good ten minutes. It was truly terrifying and Jo feared the worst."

A rescue boat took them 600 miles to Ecuador's capital Quito, but they had no money or ID with them. "Some only had their swimming costumes on," added the source. "It was a logistical nightmare but everyone kept their mood high as each one rallied around. Griff was brilliant and kept cracking jokes to keep everyone's spirits up."

A spokesperson for the TV presenter said: "He's back home and everyone is fine."