Missing Sailor & Family, Sanibel Island

[BigEasy]

A father and his three children are missing off the coast of Sanibel Island, FL.
They left aboard a 29ft sailboat on Sunday from Sarasota en route to Fort Meyers. Apparently, they ran into some rough weather on Sunday afternoon as the father called a relative on shore to report that they were in six foot seas and struggling. When they failed to arrive in Fort Meyers, the relative notified the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard found a debris field approximately 33 miles offshore from Sanibel island this morning. Most of the major news outlets are reporting on the situation. I pray that they have found a way to survive this unfortunate event.

 

[Sailm8]

FORT MYERS -
The U.S. Coast Guard is continuing to search for a father and his three teenage children who went missing in the Gulf of Mexico during a trip from Sarasota to Fort Myers Beach.

At a news conference Wednesday morning, the agency announced an aircraft assisting in the search found several items believed to have come from the vessel.

The items, found about 30 miles off the coast of Sanibel, include six life jackets, water jugs, shoes, a propane tank, a basketball and a tarp. Two kayaks have also been located, according to Twitter updates from the agency.

The brother of the father told Coast Guard officials the items belong to the family.

Timeline

The group departed from Sarasota around 7 a.m. Sunday with plans of going to Fort Myers to repair the vessel.

Later that day, around 3 p.m., Ace Kimberly called his brother and said the boat was in six-foot seas, and he was attempting to survive with his children offshore of Englewood.

The brother notified authorities on Tuesday after the family never made it to his Fort Myers Beach home. The Coast Guard began investigating and immediately launched a massive search.

Authorities said the family has been living on the sailboat for the past year in Sarasota.

They been identified as Ace Kimberly, 45; Roger Kimberly, 13; Donny Kimberly, 15; and Rebecca Kimberly, 17.

 

[sailnewbie]

I read about that earlier, my heart hurts to think about the terror the father especially was going thru trying to keep his kids safe. Hopefully everything turns out good!

 

[Kings Gambit]

Seven life jackets aboard for four persons; six of the jackets were found floating in a debris field 33 n.mi. offshore in the midst of the USCG search pattern.

 

[JohnVTX]

Heavy seas, in trouble and not wearing the jackets?

 

[Kings Gambit]

Heavy seas, in trouble and not wearing the jackets?

Well--I would think that's the implication from the information.

 

[Sailm8]

First body found.

 

[alexco38]

Reported no VHF radio

 

[sailnewbie]

Sad sad sad situation

 

[kerryedwards]

No beacon or SPOT?

 

[JamesG161]

I await the findings before I will comment.
Safety of Crew First!
Jim...

 

[Kings Gambit]

First body found.

Apparently, this is the person wearing the one life jacket not found among the six other jackets.

 

[kerryedwards]

I haven't boated in that area but isn't there an inshore route between those two locations? In a boat which needed repair, wouldn't the inshore route be safer? Or, is there a problem with getting bridges to open without a VHF radio?

 

[Kings Gambit]

I haven't boated in that area but isn't there an inshore route between those two locations? In a boat which needed repair, wouldn't the inshore route be safer? Or, is there a problem with getting bridges to open without a VHF radio?

The bridge tenders on the ICW will open on demand unless they have scheduled times. The "demand" can be blasts from an air horn (long-short, I believe) while you're circling around. If on a schedule, the tender will open on schedule for any boats waiting at the bridge. So, one does not need a VHF radio to request the bridge be opened. And, yes, the ICW runs from Sarasota Bay to Ft. Myers (Charlotte Harbor), although it's typically slower than the outside route if you have to wait for the bridges. But...

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

having done both, in a boat needing repair, the inside route would for sure be my choice

 

[JamesG161]

The Admiral has been following this all day.
Her take is...

Father in PFD, sent kids below. Boat rolled. Cabin flooded. Boat sank. Kids will be found in Cabin, without PFD's.
Jim...

 

[kimelmore]

This is a very very sad story. I can't even imagine the whole thing. No Radio?...did they even get a forecast? Only time will tell.

 

[Kings Gambit]

If anyone wishes to get a better sense of this heart-wrenching tragedy, see at the link below an article that appeared in Sail in 2014 about a boat that was nearly lost, caught in what is likely a scenario similar to that experienced by this unfortunate family off Sanibel/Captiva. In short, Florida T-storms and squalls are dangerous to boats out on the water.

http://www.sailmagazine.com/cruising/opinion/voice-of-experience-on-a-lee-shore/

 

[ITMaster]

Left Sarasota and went outside in the Gulf with no VHF with a vessel that was enroute to be repaired. Why would one go to sea in a vessel that may not be seaworthy? Called to announce trouble off the coast of Englewood. Debris found further south off Sanibel Island. Didn't bother to come inside to the ICW at Boca Pass just south of Englewood. Sounds like very poor to no planing and obviously no experience. What to me is the most tragic of it all would be the loss of the lives of those three children. What a tragic waste of lives with so much potential. The four of them have been living aboard the boat for the last year. Tragic and senseless.

 

[Gunni]

Dad and three teenage live-aboards on a 29ft boat? Somebody had a history of poor judgment (and it was not the kids).