Police in nearby St. Vincent and the Grenadines said Monday that two Americans are presumed dead after disappearing from a yacht in Grenada, leaving behind evidence of a bloody scuffle.
Kathy Blundell and Ralph Hendry's loved ones hope the American retirees and sailing enthusiasts will still make it back alive, but St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Superintendent Junior Simmons said He gave a more serious 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 Blundell and Henry are still alive.
Mr McKenzie said the three criminal suspects escaped from prison on February 18 and then “commanded” the couple's ship, 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 is nothing conclusive to say they died,” he added. “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, left little doubt about his opinion in the investigation into the “disappearances and presumed deaths of two United States citizens, Ralph Hendry and his common-law wife, Kathy Blundell.”
In an interview aired Monday on NBC Nightly News, the couple's friend Rob Maher, who was their emergency contact, said the situation was “like a bad Hollywood movie.”
“It's hard to think about their last moments, considering they could have been thrown into the ocean alive. It's hard to get a friend pregnant,” he added.
The couple's sons are in the Caribbean.
The couple's sons called their disappearance “the rarest of rare events.”
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 he was told the three men had escaped from police custody on February 18 and that the couple had disappeared the next day after boarding a 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.
Mr McKenzie said: “All I can say to the family is my condolences, and we are still hopeful for what I think is a positive outcome – that we still have hope that the worst-case scenario will not come true.'' ” he 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 found inside the ship,” he said. “No bodies were found on the yacht.”
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 expected charges to be filed soon.
Mr. Bureau and Mr. Hendry were in the Caribbean and spoke with authorities, including the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Department and the Coast Guard, and expressed their gratitude.
A U.S. 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 American citizens abroad. We stand ready to provide appropriate assistance to American citizens and their families in need. ”
life on the water
The couple met in Virginia and have been married for 27 years. They raised their boys together in the state and lived there until 2013, when they sold their house in Alexandria in exchange for simplicity and life on the water.
“They wanted to see the world. They wanted to experience life. They wanted to see what the world had to offer 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 if they could do it. It's just like the 'definition of living,'” Bro said.
Bro said the family has always been close and talk often. He considers Ralph Hendry his father and Brian Hendry his brother, and he said he knows 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,” he said.
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 when people needed them the most. They are all inspiration to me. Words can't express how much I love them. Everyone else who knew them as well I know what you feel.”
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.
“It's going to be a very long trip and it shouldn't be taken lightly,” Ms Hendry said, adding that she felt the couple 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.
The yacht “was their home”
Bro believes her mother and stepfather may still be alive.
“We believe there is still a possibility that they may be at the scene. The investigation continues and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police are “quickly apprehending the suspects and conducting investigations,” so there is hope. Yes,” he said.
“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 that they “made sure everything they did was safe and they intended to stay safe.”
“That it happened in a way that something out of their control took it away from them is so scary and so sad because they are just… Because that's what we wanted to do, and they did it, and it just breaks our hearts,'' Bro said.
