Andrew Halsey, who suffers from epilepsy, sent a three word e-mail to US coastguards, telling them "All is OK", hours after ships and an aircraft had been scrambled to find him.

Lt Troy Hosmer: "He is a very determined gentleman and quite an inspiration"

Mr Halsey, who is attempting to become the first disabled person to row the Pacific, later made radio contact with the captain on board the Norwegian ship, MV Balsfjord.

The Ocean Rowing Society said Mr Halsey told the captain: "There is nothing wrong, I set the emergency beacon off by accident."

The captain offered to take him aboard his ship but Mr Halsey declined and remained in his 28ft craft.

The BBC's Eve Conway: "He left California in July"

The former butcher, 41, from Camden, north London, is two months into an unprecedented trans-Pacific bid dubbed "the last great adventure of the millennium".

He set off in the Brittany Rose from San Diego, California, in July, aiming to reach Sydney, Australia, within seven months.

The boat has solar panels so it can be tracked by satellite

But terrible weather has hampered his attempt, and he has so far travelled 3,000 miles but only 400 of them are in the right direction.

Mr Halsey sent only one distress signal, when the arrangement was that he would send two if he was in trouble.

But coastguards said it was likely his emergency device had been accidentally triggered in rough seas.

'I will keep trying'

Last week, Mr Halsey pledged to continue his journey against expert advice to turn back because of poor weather.

He said: "I wonder if I will ever get out of this section of ocean. I will just keep on trying."

His vessel was packed with enough food for 250 days, a device to convert salt water to fresh water and a single-burner gas stove.

A global positioning system has also been fitted to the self-righting vessel to keep him headed in the right direction.

Kenneth Crutchlow, Ocean Rowing Society: "Andrew hasn't moved one mile towards Australia since August"

The trip is Mr Halsey's second major ocean row.

In 1997, he successfully completed a solo Atlantic crossing from Santa Cruz in Tenerife to St Lucia in the West Indies.

Five British rowers and a Russian have disappeared, presumed dead, on similar rowing challenges since 1966.

The last death was of British rower Peter Bird, 49, who was lost at sea on his fourth attempt to row single-handedly across the Pacific in 1996.