Hope Persists for Missing Americans Amidst Yacht Tragedy

TFD – Dive into the heartbreaking story of Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel, two Americans missing in Grenada after an alleged yacht takeover. Despite the tragic circumstances, hope remains as authorities continue their search efforts.

The family of two Americans who may have perished in Grenada after alleged prison escapees took over their yacht is holding out hope that the couple could still be alive.

The couple, Kathy Brandel and Ralph Hendry, are from Virginia; they sailed their boat, Simplicity, from Hampton, Virginia, to Antigua, and were spending the winter touring the Eastern Caribbean, according to their sailing club.

The couple’s identities are still pending confirmation by the authorities, however Grenadan police have reported that they have three men back in custody after they broke out of prison on February 18 and may have killed two persons who were thought to be US citizens.

Nick Buro, Brandel’s son, told CNN on Sunday that while there was evidence on Simplicity suggesting horrific incidents, they were still hopeful the couple would be found safe.

“Clearly there was an altercation of some sort that took place on the boat which does indicate that we are concerned for their safety overall because it does appear that they were likely injured,” he said. “The boat itself was ransacked and everything was strewn about in the entire cabin.”

Buro remarked, “They were extremely cautious to be safe at all times.” “Safety was their primary concern in everything they did, wherever they went, so this unfortunate accident, in my opinion, came out of nowhere for them.”

According to Buro, the hunt is still going on. He stated, “As far as we know, three suspects who are allegedly connected to this horrific event are being questioned while being held in custody by the St. Vincent police.”

Nick Buro told CNN on Sunday, “We are trying our hardest to try and get answers to find out what is next in terms of hopefully finding them safely recovered somewhere on the islands.” “However, given the evidence that has been discovered on the boat, we are naturally worried that they might not be with us.”

Hendry and Buro, according to Buro, were experienced sailors who had sold their house years prior in order to purchase a boat.

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. But really what they did was sell their home, sell their possessions, and bought a boat and choose a lifestyle that most of us would never imagine could be done. And they loved every minute of it and they saw many parts of the world and just lived a life of joy and love.”

According to Buro, his mother and stepfather had been planning a vacation to the Caribbean for years, but last winter marked their first time sailing there.

He claimed that a prayer service was performed on Saturday in honor of the couple, who had a close relationship with the Christian community in Virginia.

“The entire church, the boating community, family, and friends—everything has been an overwhelming outpouring of emotion, of support, love, and care,” CNN’s Buro said.

The Salty Dawg Sailing Association honored the lost sailors in a previous press release.

Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel have been active members of the Salty Dawg Sailing Association since its founding. They are seasoned cruisers. Kathy served on the association’s board for two years, and they both made valuable contributions to the SDSA’s development, according to the press release.

The family of Brandel and Hendry released a statement, which the club published.

“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. In the statement, Nick Buro and Hendry’s son Bryan Hendry said, “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.”

The family also praised the Coast Guard and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force for their investigations and urged other sailors and anybody not involved in the official investigation to cease their searches.

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.”

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.

The Salty Dawg Sailing Association reports that on February 21, it was contacted by a “good Samaritan” who saw Simplicity anchored and abandoned off the coast of St. Vincent.

It stated that the good Samaritan had entered the boat, seen that Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel, the owners, were not present, and discovered what appeared to be signs of violence. According to the association, they located the club’s contact information and called the Coast Guard, who then alerted St. Vincent police.

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

“We sincerely appreciate the efforts of the coast guards and police departments in both St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as the authorities in Grenada, who worked together to coordinate this investigation, apprehend these dangerous individuals, retrieve Simplicity, and get it to safety as soon as possible. They have been really helpful and friendly to us,” Hendry remarked.

The president of the club, Bob Osborn, expressed his sympathy to the families and claimed the violence was unprecedented.

“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 communicated with the families, expressing our sincere sympathies and offering our support in any manner that we can. I have cruised the Caribbean for many years, but I have never heard of anything like this.

The US State Department stated in a statement on Friday that it is “aware of these reports involving US citizens.” We are keeping an eye on the circumstances and looking for more details.

Superintendent Junior O. Simmons of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force told CNN on Saturday that additional information would be made public and that the suspects are assisting with the investigation.

Aaron Eggleston, Jillian Sykes, and Abel Alvarado from CNN contributed to this story.