For almost two weeks, the Mexican Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard have been searching for three American sailors who went missing in the Pacific Ocean.
The Coast Guard announced on Friday that Kerry and Frank O’Brien, along with William Gross, were last heard from on April 4 while sailing on their 44-foot sailboat Ocean Bound from Mazatlán.
They were en route to San Diego after a scheduled stop for supplies in Cabo San Lucas on April 6, and were expected to check-in before continuing north.
“However, there was no record of them arriving in Cabo San Lucas or a report of their location,” the Coast Guard said in a statement.
It posted photos of the vessel and the O’Briens on social media.
Marinas throughout Baja, Mexico, have been put on alert and “urgent marine information broadcasts have been issued over VHF radio requesting all mariners to keep a lookout for the missing persons and vessel,” the Coast Guard said.
According to officials, certain units of Mexico’s navy are assisting in the search effort. Additionally, relatives have reported on Facebook that family and friends are also aiding in the search.
“Kerry, Frank and Bill are all experienced sailors,” the statement said. “Bill has over 50 years of sailing experience and is an extremely talented coastal cruiser. Kerry and Frank have 20 years sailing together, and both hold Captains licenses with the U.S. Coast Guard. Ocean Bound is a sturdy older vessel and by many accounts is one of the best sailboats ever constructed.”
According to the family, the three individuals departed Mazatlán at approximately 9:30 a.m. on April 4, sailing west across the Sea of Cortez with intentions to travel up the Baja coast.
The post on Facebook stated that cellphone signals indicated they attempted to dock at different marinas but were not successful. When they had not checked in by the following weekend, they were reported missing to the Coast Guard.
“The sailing community has hundreds of additional vessels looking for our family members. Sadly they have not seen or made contact with them either,” the relatives said. “Please help us bring Kerry, Frank and Bill home.”