An American couple who had sailed from Virginia and have been spending the winter on a Caribbean cruise went lacking this month whereas crusing off Grenada, and their boat ran aground empty in close by St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
His disappearance got here on the similar time that three males escaped from a jail in Grenada and made their escape by boat to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, authorities in these islands stated.
In an announcement, the Royal Grenada Police Drive didn’t determine the 2 Individuals, however stated it was searching for attainable hurt to them in reference to the escape of the prisoners.
Based on the Salty Dawg Crusing Affiliation, a non-profit affiliation that brings collectively crusing and cruising fanatics, a skipper reported on February 21 {that a} member's yacht named Simplicity was discovered anchored and deserted off a seaside within the southern coast of San Vincenzo.
The skipper boarded the catamaran and observed that its homeowners weren’t on board, the affiliation's assertion stated. The skipper contacted the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard, who then notified the native police.
The lacking boat homeowners have been recognized as Ralph Hendry, 66, and Kathy Brandel, 71, by the affiliation and Ms. Brandel's son, Nick Buro, who stated the couple, initially from Virginia, she was married for 27 years.
Mr. Hendry and Mrs. Brandel have been skilled sailors who lived on their boat. They lately accomplished their crusing membership's “Caribbean Rally” – cruising from Hampton, Virginia, to the island of Antigua to finish 2023 with a celebration – and are spending the remainder of the winter cruising the Caribbean , based on a membership assertion. .
The affiliation stated it had a monitoring map to trace members' boats and it confirmed the couple's boat, Simplicity, anchored in Grenada earlier than docking in St Vincent. The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard secured the boat and the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Drive investigated with the U.S. Embassy and the Royal Grenada Police Drive, based on the affiliation's assertion.
Individually, the Royal Grenada Police Drive stated in an announcement on February 22 that three males who escaped from a jail in Grenada on February 18 made their method to St. Vincent utilizing a yacht that had been docked within the St. George's space of Grenada. . The power stated the 2 occupants of the boat, which it didn’t identify, have been US residents.
The prisoners have been recovered on February 21, the identical day the couple's ship was discovered.
Grenada authorities recognized the prisoners as Trevon Robertson, 19; Abita Stanislaus, 25; and Ron Mitchell, 30.
They’d beforehand been charged collectively in a violent theft case in December. Mr. Mitchell additionally confronted a number of separate fees that included harm, indecent assault and rape, Grenada police stated.
In a joint household assertion on Saturday, Mr. Buro and Bryan Hendry, Mr. Hendry's son, thanked the cruise group for his or her help and assist in the search, however requested them to go away.
“We additionally wish to applaud the authorities in San Vincenzo for his or her fast actions to safe Simplicity and their courageous and fast response that led to the apprehension of three harmful fugitives,” based on the household's assertion. He added: “We drastically admire the coordination of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police forces and the Coast Guard within the investigation of those occasions.”
The Royal Grenada Police Drive didn’t reply to a request on Sunday. The division stated within the launch that the investigation was “in its first part” and {that a} crew of investigators and a forensic specialist had been despatched to St. Vincent.
Bob Osborn, chairman of the crusing membership, described the couple as cordial and succesful and their disappearance “a really upsetting occasion”.
He added, “Our hopes and prayers are with Ralph and Kathy and the household that loves them.”
A GoFundMe web page began by a household pal searching for to assist with prices associated to his disappearance described Mr. Hendry and Ms. Brandel as “seasoned adventurers” and stated they “spent their retirement crusing of Simplicity, spend summers in New England and embrace the heat of Caribbean winters.”
