American Couple Goes Lacking Whereas Crusing Off Grenada

An American couple who had departed from Virginia and have been spending the winter cruising within the Caribbean went lacking this month whereas crusing off Grenada, and their boat turned up empty in neighboring St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Their disappearance got here across the similar time three males escaped from a jail in Grenada and made their getaway by boat to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the authorities in these islands mentioned.

In a press release, the Royal Grenada Police Power didn’t establish the 2 People however mentioned that it was wanting into attainable hurt to them in connection to the prisoners’ escape.

In response to the Salty Dawg Sailing Association, a nonprofit that brings collectively crusing and cruising lovers, a skipper notified it on Feb. 21 {that a} member’s yacht referred to as Simplicity was discovered anchored and deserted off a seaside on the southern coast of St. Vincent.

The skipper boarded the catamaran and famous that its homeowners weren’t onboard, the affiliation’s assertion mentioned. The skipper contacted the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard, which 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 mentioned the couple, initially from Virginia, have been married for 27 years.

Mr. Hendry and Ms. Brandel have been skilled sailors who lived on their boat. They just lately accomplished their crusing membership’s “Caribbean Rally” — cruising from Hampton, Va., to the island of Antigua to finish 2023 with a celebration — they usually have been spending the rest of the winter cruising the Caribbean, in response to a press release from the membership.

The affiliation mentioned that it had a monitoring map to observe members’ boats and that it confirmed the couple’s boat, Simplicity, was anchored in Grenada earlier than docking off St. Vincent. The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard secured the boat and the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Power have been investigating with the U.S. Embassy and the Royal Grenada Police Power, in response to the assertion from the affiliation.

Individually, the Royal Grenada Police Power mentioned in a Feb. 22 statement that three males who escaped from a jail in Grenada on Feb. 18 made their strategy to St. Vincent utilizing a yacht that had been docked within the St. George space of Grenada. The power mentioned that the 2 boat occupants, whom it didn’t identify, have been Americans.

The prisoners have been recaptured on Feb. 21, the identical day that the couple’s vessel was discovered.

The Grenada authorities recognized the prisoners as Trevon Robertson, 19; Abita Stanislaus, 25; and Ron Mitchell, 30.

They’d been beforehand charged, collectively, in a violent theft case in December. Mr. Mitchell additionally confronted varied separate costs that included inflicting hurt, indecent assault and rape, the Grenada police mentioned.

In a joint family statement on Saturday, Mr. Buro and Bryan Hendry, Mr. Hendry’s son, thanked the cruising neighborhood for its assist and assist in the search however requested them to face down.

“We also want to applaud the St. Vincent authorities for their quick actions in securing Simplicity and their brave, swift response that led to the apprehension of three dangerous fugitives,” in response to the household assertion. It added: “We greatly appreciate the coordination of the St. Vincent and Royal Grenadian Police forces and Coast Guards in investigating these events.”

The Royal Grenada Police Power didn’t reply to an inquiry on Sunday. The division mentioned within the launch that the investigation was “in its infancy stage” and {that a} staff of investigators and a forensic specialist had been dispatched to St. Vincent.

Bob Osborn, president of the crusing membership, described the couple as warmhearted and succesful and their disappearance “a very upsetting event.”

He added, “Our hopes and prayers are with Ralph and Kathy and the family who love them.”

A GoFundMe web page began by a household good friend in search of to assist with prices associated to their disappearance described Mr. Hendry and Ms. Brandel as “experienced adventurers” and mentioned that they had “spent their retirement sailing aboard Simplicity, spending summers in New England and embracing the warmth of Caribbean winters.”