GoFundMe Page Set Up for American Couple Whose Yacht Was Stolen by Escaped Prisoners

TFD – Join the effort to support the American couple whose yacht was stolen by escaped prisoners in Grenada.

Following reports that escaped prisoners in Grenada stole the American couple’s yacht, police in the Caribbean are looking into their disappearance. The violent scenario suggests that they may have been killed, so their family is now preparing for the prospect that “they aren’t with us,” but they are still holding out hope that they will be discovered alive.

The Virginia couple, known as Kathy Brandel and Ralph Hendry by their sailing club, were fulfilling a lifelong ambition of taking their sailing vessel, Simplicity, on a Caribbean cruise. However, the husband and wife were nowhere to be discovered when the boat was discovered abandoned on Wednesday off the coast of St. Vincent, as reported by the Salty Dawg Sailing Association, the club.

The couple’s identity is still pending, but Grenadan police have reported that three inmates were apprehended again following their escape on February 18. The Royal Grenada Police Force said in a statement that there is evidence to suggest that they may have killed the American occupants of a yacht they reportedly hijacked in St. George in order to escape to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, another island nation about 80 miles away.

Nick Buro, Brandel’s son, expressed his continued optimism that the couple will be discovered on a Caribbean island.

“There was obviously an altercation of some kind that occurred on the boat because the boat itself was ransacked and everything was scattered throughout the entire cabin,” Buro told CNN on Sunday. Since it seems like they were probably hurt, we are worried about their general safety.

Kathy turned 71 on Wednesday, the day the abandoned yacht was found, according to Buro. Ralph will turn 67 on March 2, according to his son Bryan Hendry, who spoke with CNN.

According to Buro, his mother and stepfather were seasoned boaters who had spent years organizing the trip, which was their first Caribbean cruise.

“They were super careful to be safe all the time,” Buro said. “Everywhere they went everything they did, safety was their top, top concern. So this unfortunate accident, I think, it came out of nowhere for them.”

Years ago, he continued, the couple sold their house and purchased Simplicity, immersing themselves in an alluring life on the water.

It served as their residence. All of their possessions were on that vessel. They lived it,” he remarked. Kathy spent her entire life working before retiring. Ralph carried on with his work from the boat in the financial services industry. In reality, though, they chose a way of life that most of us could never imagine being possible. And they loved every minute of it and they saw many parts of the world and just lived a life of joy and love.”

The suspects in the hijacking, Ron Mitchell, 30, Trevon Robertson, 19, and Abita Stanislaus, 25, were assisting the police, according to Superintendent Junior O. Simmons of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force. The Royal Grenada Police Force stated that before the escape, Mitchell was also accused of rape and indecent assault, while the other three had been charged with violent robbery.

“Aware of these reports involving US citizens,” the US State Department stated on Friday. We are keeping an eye on the circumstances and looking for more details.

Boat abandoned by “good Samaritan” discovered

The boater who saw the Simplicity anchored and abandoned off the south coast of St. Vincent called the Salty Dawg Sailing Association on Wednesday, according to the association.

The group stated that the good Samaritan had entered the boat, saw that Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel, the owners, were not present, and discovered signs of apparent violence. According to the association, the person also got in touch with the Coast Guard, who then alerted the St. Vincent police.

The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force apprehended the fugitives that same day, according to Grenada police.

“Our hopes and prayers are with Ralph and Kathy and the family who love them. This is a very upsetting event and details are still unconfirmed by the authorities,” Osborn said in a statement. “I have never heard of anything like this in all the years I have cruised the Caribbean.”

Experienced boaters get a flood of support

Following their disappearance, friends and church members from the boating community came out with offers of support, according to Brandel and Hendry’s families.

“We would want to thank everyone who helped in the search and rescue efforts and gathered information from eyewitnesses on behalf of the whole cruiser community. Buro and Bryan Hendry said in a statement released by the sailing club, “It means so much to us that so many people cared for Ralph and Kathy as friends and fellow cruisers that they are willing to stop and help in whatever way possible.”

Additionally, they requested that boats who are not connected to the official investigation cease their search operations.

The statement said, “We feel that this situation could only get worse if someone got hurt or put in danger while trying to conduct searches.”

Additionally, the pair was well-connected to the local Christian community; on Saturday, Buro added, a prayer service was organized in their honor.

On behalf of Nick Buro, a GoFundMe page has been set up to assist with the costs of the couple’s assistance, the retrieval of the yacht, and their personal items.