Search suspended for missing Americans

The U.S. Coast Guard has been informed that the Mexican Navy (SEMAR) has suspended their search on April 19 for three American mariners aboard the La Fitte 44 Ocean Bound, which was last heard from on April 4 near Mazatlán, Mexico.

Kerry O’Brien, Frank O’Brien, and William Gross aboard the sailboat reportedly left Mazatlán on April 4 en route to San Diego, Calif., with plans to stop in Cabo San Lucas on April 6, report in and reprovision. However, they did not report in or arrive in Cabo San Lucas.

Search and rescue coordinators contacted marinas throughout Baja, Mexico, which resulted in no sightings of the vessel. Urgent marine information broadcasts were also issued over VHF radio, but yielded no additional information.

The search was suspended pending further developments after SEMAR and U.S. Coast Guard responders conducted 281 cumulative search hours covering approximately 200,057 square nautical miles, an area larger than the state of California, off Mexico’s northern Pacific coast with no sign of the missing sailing vessel nor its passengers…

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