The Mexican Navy and United States Coast Guard are searching for three missing American sailors who have not been seen since April 4.
According to the Coast Guard, Kerry O’Brien, Frank O’Brien, and William Gross were sailing onboard the “Ocean Bound,” a 44-foot LaFitte sailboat. They were last heard from on April 4 when they departed Mazatlán, Mexico — a resort town in Sinaloa.
Three Americans were sailing to San Diego with a planned stop in Cabo San Lucas, where they would pick up additional supplies on April 6 but the Coast Guard said there is no record of the group arriving in Cabo San Lucas or providing any report of their location. Additionally, marinas in Baja, Mexico, have yet to see the vessel or sailors.
The trip from Mazatlán to Cabo San Lucas requires an over 200-mile sail across the southern Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez.
The Mexican Navy is now searching for the missing sailors with assistance from the Coast Guard, asking any mariner to look for the missing vessel.
“Search and rescue coordinators have contacted marinas throughout Baja, Mexico, with negative sightings of the vessel,” the Coast Guard said. “Urgent marine information broadcasts have been issued over VHF radio requesting all mariners to keep a lookout for the missing persons and vessel.”
The three sailors were traveling on a 44-foot sailboat designed by Robert H. Perry Yacht Designers, equipped with a single mast for sailing and an auxiliary motor. According to Cruising World, the LaFitte 44 is a formidable ocean sailboat, with multiple owners circumnavigating the world with the boat.
Source: OEM
