Caribbean officials are currently searching for two U.S. sailors who are presumed dead after their yacht was found abandoned, showing signs of a violent struggle. Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel, a married couple, were sailing in the Caribbean on their catamaran Simplicity when the vessel was discovered off the shores of Grand Anse Beach in Grenada on Feb. 19. According to their family and local investigators, the boat bore evidence of a violent altercation.
The Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) is investigating leads that suggest the couple may have been killed by three fugitives who escaped from a jail cell and hijacked their yacht. The fugitives, Ronald Mitchell, Trevon Robertson, and Abita Stanislaus, had escaped from a holding cell on Feb. 18, a day before the U.S. couple’s abandoned yacht was found. The three men faced charges of robbery and violence, with Mitchell also facing additional charges of rape and assault.
Although police have not officially confirmed the deaths of the couple, their family members have announced their passing. The Salty Dawg Sailing Association described Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel as “veteran cruisers” and noted that the couple’s abandoned yacht was found off the coast of St. Vincent. An investigation into the incident is ongoing, with senior investigators and a forensic specialist dispatched to St. Vincent to continue the probe.
The family has expressed gratitude to volunteers for their search and rescue efforts and asked them to allow officials to continue the investigation. They also commended the St. Vincent authorities for swiftly securing Simplicity and apprehending the fugitives involved in the incident. Local media covered the arrest of the suspects, with video footage showing one escapee being taken into custody.