Police in nearby St. Vincent and the Grenadines said Monday that two Americans were “presumed dead” after disappearing from a yacht in Grenada, leaving behind evidence of a bloody scuffle.
The loved ones of Cathy Blundell and Ralph Hendry hold out hope that the American retirees and sailing enthusiasts may still make it back alive, but St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Junior Officer Superintendent Simmons offered a more somber assessment.
“Based on the investigation to date, Ralph Hendry and Kathy Blundell are presumed deceased,” Simmons said in a video statement Monday afternoon.
Hours earlier, Grenada police said there was still hope of finding the couple.
But Royal Grenada Police Commissioner Don McKenzie also said he offered his “condolences” to the families of the two American boaters who were likely “disposed of” at sea by the escaped convicts.Mackenzie said there is. There is a “low probability” that the American citizen is still alive.
Mr McKenzie said the three criminal suspects escaped from prison on February 18 and then “commanded” the couple's boat, the Simplicity, heading north. Police said the fugitives boarded a boat moored in Grenada's St. George area.
“They headed to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Information suggests they disposed of residents while traveling between Grenada and St. Vincent,” McKenzie told reporters.
Asked if law enforcement knows where the “missing” Americans are, McKenzie flatly answered “no.”
“There's nothing conclusive to say they died,” McKenzie said. “We still hold out hope that they will show up alive somewhere, that they will be alive, even if the chances are low.”
Simmons, of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, has left little doubt about his opinion in the ongoing investigation into the “disappearance and presumed deaths of two Americans…Ralph Hendry and his common-law wife, Kathy Blundell.” There wasn't.
The couple's sons call their disappearance “the rarest of rare events” and remain hopeful that they are still alive.
Blundell's son, Nick Brough, and Hendry's son, Brian Hendry, told NBC Washington that they first learned the couple was missing after being contacted by a U.S. consular official in Barbados.
A good Samaritan who found their abandoned boat contacted the Salty Dawg Sailing Association, who found the flag flying on the mast and the news was passed on to the couple's 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.
“All I can say to the family is my condolences. And we're still hopeful for what I think is a positive outcome. So we still have hope that the worst-case scenario won't come true.” Mr Mackenzie said.
Mr Simmons, from St Vincent and the Grenadines, said the scene of the couple's boat was “consistent with signs of violence”.
“Several items were scattered on the deck and in the cabin, and a blood-red substance was seen inside the ship,” Simmons said. “No bodies were found on the yacht.”
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.