The sons of an American couple who went missing after their yacht was apparently hijacked in Grenada are holding out hope that they are still alive, calling their disappearance “the rarest of rare events”. There is.
Nick Breaux, the son of Kathy Blundell, and Brian Hendry, the son of Ralph Hendry, spoke to NBC Washington about their parents' disappearance.
The sons only learned the couple was missing after being contacted by U.S. consulate officials in Barbados. A good Samaritan who found the ship Simplicity, where the two men had deserted, contacted the Salty Dawg Sailing Association, which had a flag on the mast, and the news was passed on to the two sons.
Bro said the three men escaped police custody on February 18 and were told the couple had gone missing the next day after boarding the couple's boat in Grenada.
Bro said he was told there was a “violent altercation” on the boat, adding there was evidence of violence and the couple's belongings were “strewn all over the place,” as well as items stolen.
The Royal Grenada Police Force said on Thursday that after an investigation, the two people on board may have died.
Bro said there was still no sign of the couple's bodies, but added: “The search continues in the hope that they are still alive.” …Hopefully we can find them and bring them home, and that's where we are now. ”
The fugitives were arrested by St. Vincent and the Grenadines police on Wednesday and are being held there, Bro and officials said.
Police told Bro that they had interviewed the suspects multiple times and that the family would be charged soon.
Mr. Bureau and Mr. Hendry are both in the Caribbean and have met with authorities, including the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Department and the Coast Guard, to express their gratitude.
A State Department spokeswoman said she was aware of reports that two nationals were missing near Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, but did not identify the couple. The official added that U.S. authorities were coordinating with local law enforcement authorities in the search operation.
A spokesperson said: “We are monitoring the situation and seeking further information.” “The State Department has no higher priority than the welfare and safety of Americans abroad, and we stand ready to provide appropriate assistance to Americans and their families in need.”
The Royal Grenada Police, Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police and the Department of State did not immediately respond to requests for comment to confirm the identities of the passengers and crew.
life on the water
The couple met in Virginia and have been married for 27 years. They raised their boys together in the state until 2013, when they sold their house in Alexandria for simplicity and a life on the water.
“They wanted to see the world. They wanted to experience life. What the world was like outside their little window of living in one place, moving around, and being able to have a different adventure every day. “I wanted to see that. It's like the definition of living,” Bro said.
According to Bro, the family has always been close and they talk often. He considers Ralph Hendry his father and Brian Hendry his brother, and knows that Hendry feels the same way about him and Blundell.
The couple “lived in wonder and love,” Hendry said.
“They loved immersing themselves in different cultures, meeting people and spreading love wherever they could.”
Bro also echoed his brother-in-law's feelings.
“You'll never meet more beautiful people than Kathy and Ralph,” Bro said. “They were there for people when they needed it most. They are all inspirations to me. Words can't express how much I love them, and so do others who knew them. I think you feel that way.”
The couple had “spent years and years of planning, training themselves, preparing their boat and getting ready to make the trip” for their first trip to the Caribbean island, Grenada. said Hendry.
Mr Hendry said it was a “very long trip and should not be taken lightly” and that the couple felt they had “prepared well”.
They continued their voyage with the Salty Dawg Sailing Association and all arrived safely, Bro said.
Association president Bob Osborne said the situation was upsetting and tragic.
“In all my years of sailing in the Caribbean, I have never heard of anything like this,” he said in a statement.
sons think their parents may still be alive
Bro believes her mother and stepfather may still be alive.
“We believe there is still a possibility that they may be at the scene,” Bro said, adding that the investigation is ongoing and that St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police are “quickly apprehending and searching for the suspect.” Therefore, he said there is hope.
“We still hope they are okay and that we can bring them back,” Bro said.
He said the entire situation was “completely unexpected” and that he was trying to make sense of the “senseless act of violence against two people who were simply living in their home.”
Bro said the couple worked hard toward their dreams and became seasoned sailors. Simplicity “was their home,” he says.
He said the couple's top priority has always been safety and security, and “we were going to make sure everything they did was safe and keep them safe.”
“That it happened in such a way that something out of their control took that away from them, that's very scary and very sad because they are righteous and this is It just breaks our hearts because that's what they always wanted to do and they just did it,'' Bro said.
