TWO rowers were saved from starvation in a dramatic mid-Atlantic rescue after they ran out of food during a 3,000-mile fundraising voyage.

Former Ridgeway School pupil Stuart Turnbull and Edward Baylis, both 26, were hoping to break the world record by crossing the Atlantic in under 40 days, five hours and 31 minutes without any support.

But treacherous weather, including 40ft high waves as big as houses, delayed their attempt and the inexperienced rowers found themselves running out of food and living on starvation rations.

At one point Mr Turnbull, from Broad Town, near Wootton Bassett, and Mr Baylis, from Wimborne, Dorset, found themselves examining toothpaste and seaweed for their nutritional content. But as they faced starvation, the Ocean Rowing Society arranged a rendezvous with a pair of Dutch rowers nearby who had plenty of food on board.

Mr Turnbull and Mr Baylis met up with their rescuers and "ate like kings" on a feast of chicken satay, rice, mashed potatoes and cookies, 350 miles from Antigua on Valentine's Day.

Mr Baylis, who runs his own health food business, said: "It was one of the most bizarre Valentine's Days we have ever had, or will ever spend."

The pair set off from La Gomera in the Canaries in their 24 foot plywood boat with two oars to row unsupported across the Atlantic on December 20 last year, hoping to raise £250,000 for Cancer Research UK.

They expected to reach Antigua within 50 days but the weather soon foiled their plans and they found themselves surviving on starvation rations, eating just 1,100 calories a day but burning up around 7,000.

Mr Baylis said: "We were in the death zone. What we ate was just unsustainable to keep going.

"We tried to spear fish but then lost our spear. Things were getting pretty desperate but we were determined to keep going.

"Things were pretty serious. We were wracking our brains to see what we could eat."

The pair ate everything left in their boat for a calorie boost and rowed so hard they reached the rendezvous early before boarding the Dutch rowing boat to tuck in to their feast.

"We ate like kings and we are just feeling human again now,'' said Mr Baylis The Dutch rowers restocked their supplies and the pair have enough food to continue their fundraising escapade. They hope to reach Antigua by Friday.

They have almost been mowed down by a tanker during the 2,600-plus miles they have rowed so far but the pair have managed to raise more than £200,000 for charity.