Tragic end for BC sailors found dead in lifeboat off Nova Scotia coast

It has been a tragic end for a B.C. couple who set off on a sailing adventure last month across the Atlantic.
Brett Clibbery and Sarah Packwood set off from Halifax on June 11 en route to the Azores, a Portuguese territory in the mid-Atlantic.
The pair were reported missing June 18 and were found dead in a life raft this week.
Global's Troy Charles has more on the mystery surrounding what may have happened.
For more info, please go toglobalnews.ca/news/10620683/b...
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[@deborahporter7432]

She was so excited to take the Oath of Canadian citizenship just over a year ago, and they had just finished building their home on Salt Spring Island. Truly positive and happy people. RIP.

[@ykmaggie]

We had a fire aboard 4 years ago. You cannot imagine the panic. There is far less time than you think and your thinking in such an emergency is severely impaired. So sorry for this couple and their families

[@VIJAYzk]

I'm so concerned for all those who use lithium batteries those are not marine grade!

[@alexkelso2970]

I sank off Fraser Island two years ago, whale strike. Vessel went down in under five minutes. Was wearing PFD with personal EPIRB and hand held VHF. Thank you coast Gaurd Noosa, I think of you guys often.

[@comealongcomealong4480]

@alexkelso2970 I hope you got the chance to send the Noosa Coastguard an official thank you. Or leave a testimony of thanks on their website. /Emergency Services Personnel often do it tough with their mental health. Too much repeated trauma for some to process. You never know who you may touch 😊

[@janet9771]

@@dirksauditleistungenausdem1492 I agree! Could have made a difference 😢

[@patrickcowan8701]

RIP. At least you lived the adventure. Safe journey in the next adventure.

[@Seagaltalk]

Floating around at sea till you die is an adventure now?

[@mathew6097]

@@Seagaltalk yes

[@acerjuglans383]

​@@Seagaltalkthanks for missing the point, and being "that guy".

[@insertnamehere4742]

​@@Seagaltalk 🤡 put your makeup on 🤡

[@zinnia3684]

What

[@davemacmurchie6982]

Certainly strange that they made it into the dinghy without getting out a distress call. It suggests some sort of sudden catastrophe like collision or fire. The ocean is well supplied with unexpected hazards like shipping containers that have been lost from commercial vessels. My shipmates and I still think that's what we hit on a trip to the Azores in 1975, but don't know for sure. We know we hit something in the middle of the Atlantic and were taking on water, but never found out what it was other than some red paint transferred to our hull. Luckily a small leak ("casual water") that we were able to deal with, but it might have been much worse and if so, probably nobody would ever have known.

[@NicoletaWestren-jk2kg]

The weekend after they left there was a storm front which was low and there were terrible lightnings and the clouds were very close to earth. I live close to shore and it was frightening. My belief is their sailboat was hit by lightning ☹️

[@marcgatto9675]

I believe they were in the emergency life raft and not the dinghy.

[@charonstyxferryman]

Not strange at all. Things can go south really fast on sea. E.g. A fire could force you - in less than a minute - to leave the boat in your liferaft.

[@user-ik3xn1cu9b]

That was the whole Robert Redford movie.

[@BjrnOttoVasbottenbjovas]

Not really, things can go tragically bad in the blink of an eye

[@user-ue4rd1mf1v]

Sorry for your loss. You seemed like happy, decent people who were living a good life. RIP.

[@Cnd531]

Very sad to hear. The ocean is a very mean place

[@beachplumb]

Not mean; indifferent.

[@olirc]

@@beachplumb Exactly. It doesn't give a damn, one way or the other. It'll just keep on being an ocean.

[@greggutierrez6997]

The ocean is lonely and wants to keep you.

[@Joe3pops]

Sable Island has been known as the graveyard of the Atlantic for very good reasons. It's a sand bar that claims many ships. RIP sailors.

[@dmitripogosian5084]

But that is for bigger ships. If you managed to get to the dingy as near to Sable island as your sailboat draft allows, you have a pretty good chance to get onshore. Especially in a sail boat island will be on your leeward side, so wind direction will be helpful in the dingy. Where and in what state the dinghy and bodies were found will answer that, but I would suspect they drifted for a while

[@Joe3pops]

So much like yourself these unfortuneate sailors underestimated the danger. Look at its oceanic location. All of the Atlantic shifting high winds & sea waters have thier way with the island sand bar on a daily basis. I suggest they got too close & quite possible storm forces literally overturned this sailboat after its keel struck the bottom. High winds and swell at not there to help you on a sand bar, and theres no way we can know the ships position at the time it was stranded. Over 350 known ship wrecks there. How can you be certain a "little sailboat" is in any less danger? Be well.

[@chrisc1644]

@@Joe3pops oh this very well may have happened !

[@GodmadeTexas]

​@@Joe3pops Do these sail boats have an emergency buoy?

[@jase4270]

​@@Joe3popsYou no absolutely nothing of what happened all just speculation.

[@boblatkey7160]

I have an emergency satellite transponder that fits in my front pocket. It's about 3/4 of an inch thick 2 inches tall and one and a half inches wide. You can literally put it in your shirt pocket. Such a bummer. Very peculiar as to why they couldn't call for help.

[@ValerieVfc]

As someone that lives on the ocean, I can confirm that the ocean could be your worst nightmare and tear you apart. What transponder, flooting away or sinking to the bottom, would help you then?

[@boblatkey7160]

@@ValerieVfc I keep it on a lanyard so it can't get away from me and it floats. They also make them for boats that hard mount to the boat and when the boat gets submerged, it launches itself and floats on the water and deploys and sends out an emergency call without any human interaction whatsoever, I'm sure there were all kinds of other circumstances, but I'm just trying to make a point. I have friends that go sailing all over the world and I challenged them on their radio and their batteries and I was absolutely stunned to learn that they knew less about their electrical system and how to operate an emergency radio, hotwire it, or operate a satellite transponder then I did, and I don't like sailing..

[@aaronmyers1982]

I would have two. By two different brands. Just to be sure.

[@Morpheen999]

@@ValerieVfc Its about putting out a call for help and a location so there is a chance at finding you Not having one, well you just watched a video on the outcome of that

[@ohboy7790]

yeah this. seems like a basic need if sailing out into the open ocean, or anywhere really, but especially there.

[@spelunkerd]

The weakness of sailing a small yacht with a tiny crew in calm seas is the night watch. They could have hit a container, a ship, or even Sable island while asleep. Then if things happen fast the boat is going down before you have time to think, or even send out a message.

[@almisami]

But they got to their life raft... Did their emergency transponder fail?

[@keithb6717]

@@almisami Not all boats carry an EPIRB.

[@FranFerioli]

@@keithb6717 "Not all boats carry an EPIRB." I thought everyone crossing an ocean would have an EPIRB.

[@keithb6717]

@@FranFerioli Personally I take two but many boaters don’t have them.

[@martintursic238]

@@keithb6717 How that can be, damn thing can be bought for 400 Euros.

[@victoriagraham6470]

There are alot more details to come so for now my sympathy to their family

[@user-fw2tw9fn7o]

They died doing what they loved ,sad ,condolences to their family .

[@WiseOwl_1408]

Dying of exposure?

[@marklivingston6137]

except the last 24 hours were full of fear and misery

[@josephhubisz8610]

what a ridiculous sentiment

[@elainewalls1965]

Freezing, cold, hungry and terrified?

[@VIJAYzk]

I've heard a guy say he would prefer not to wear any PFDs. He would prefer to drown and die instead of living in hell for a couple of days

[@NicoletaWestren-jk2kg]

I live in SW Nova Scotia. Based on the timing, I believe they were hit with a horrible thunderstorm that swept on the south side. We had lightning hitting trees here. Lightning was awful that weekend and I was watching on an app. There were so many of them south east of Nova Scotia over the ocean ☹️

[@orangestoneface]

do all boats have lighting arresters and do they always work

[@NicoletaWestren-jk2kg]

I don’t really know. But I know boats and planes do get hit by lighting. When I read the news I rewinded time and remembered the weekend of 14-16 June there was a big front with lots of nasty lighting. They left Halifax June 11

[@kevinhorne9643]

@@orangestoneface funnily, all sailboats (with a metal mast) have a lightning arrestor. But it only works because a wire goes under water on the hull from the mast to channel the energy away from the vessel decks.

[@happyscottman]

I bet that was it. RIP.

[@DreathDookoo]

They were found butchered so it was pirates

[@personincognito3989]

This is Terribly sad

[@brendaoneill1581]

My condolences to their loved ones

[@melstiller8561]

How very, very sad that they didn't make it, much less to the Azores. RIP 🙏 🙏💔💔

[@alishademmery3581]

Condolences for the family

[@peterrollinson-lorimer]

Tragic. I can't imagine their anguish.

[@edwojtecki3851]

Very tragic turn of events for the Captain and crew. I will leave it to people charged with this investigation to follow all leads and common sense. I hope their kin folk understand the self sufficiency that sailors hold them selves too. May there restless souls continue to be restless chasing the sunsets that inspired there desire and love of the natural world. Sad report. Capt Ed Wojtecki.

[@MARKLINMAN1]

This is HEARTBREAKING, I was a follower of their channel. So sad. Did their EPIRB go off? This sounds a little strange, they were very experienced.

[@jeffalexander544]

They DID have an Epirus down below but was never grabbed apparently.

[@jamesstuart3346]

These two looked experienced. No way they would have gone offshore without an EPIRB, a personal locator and an approved life raft

[@phuktard]

They most certainly did. Look at the radar dome on the mast. They had AIS for sure. Maybe they couldn't get their 'Jump Bag'

[@kknn523]

They are like people who wing suit glide. You don't expect them to be rational beings that would place multiple life saving devices where they are easily accessible. If they were rational they would not wing suit glide, climb everest, or do medieval age boat trips.

[@nzs316]

Plan your sail and sail your plan. Could have been hit by a whale or a shipping container and seconds count...but, experienced sailors always have a plan B and C.

[@keithsim2914]

​@@nzs316amen amen and amen.

[@nzs316]

@@keithsim2914 I truly do not understand how everything went so horribly bad so fast. It’s always best to be three people on board that way there’s always somebody on watch.

[@roadboat9216]

That is very very sad. Have done voyages like this. They were experienced and looked like a very nice vessel. It is actually pretty rare for something like this to happen. No sat phone, EPIRB, InReach. Nothing. But able to get in raft. Mysterious.

[@noehctuccmliw]

Not an outcome any would wish upon these folk. Risk is always a part of any venture. That said, I am proud to see such people following their dream as far as fate would have it rather than just dreaming another day about if they had done so when time allowed for it ⛵

[@rashidabaakza8554]

😢 Rest in peace 🤲

[@lauriefullerton3161]

not that I have any clue but in a race from Newport to Bermuda on June 14, at night one of the boats hit a submerged object (more likely than not a container that had fallen off a ship). THey are not always easy to detect. Their boat sank almost immediately but they were rescued by another yacht nearby..as it was a race so boats were close by. others encountered dangerous "sea junk" too. with all the storms, hurricanes etc. could it be possible there is even more sea junk out there. very deadly to smaller boats that is for sure.

[@jesusisgod4992]

My worst nightmare is sailing in the Atlantic. Brave people.

[@frankwoods6821]

How come not pacific?

[@clairecarscallen2925]

@@frankwoods6821You do know the meaning of the word ‘pacific’ as an adjective?

[@acerjuglans383]

​@@clairecarscallen2925No one cares.

[@jacobleb420]

@@clairecarscallen2925 You do realize this is the comments section of a KZbin video right? Of course they don't know...

[@tonybaloney8401]

​@@frankwoods6821the pacific has warm water, nice climate, lots of small islands, while the Atlantic is freezing cold, windy, and empty

[@CurriedBat]

So sad to hear. Bless them for their courage to sail the seas.

[@lisacarlo7193]

My heart goes out to there families. RIP 🙏 😢💔

[@FloatingVillageLife]

Your empathy and understanding of tragic events are truly commendable, shedding light on the human experience with sensitivity and compassion. Your ability to convey profound stories of resilience and loss fosters empathy and understanding. And I am Floating Village Life

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

For the life raft to end up on Sable Island is a miracle in its own right.

[@myronbuck2436]

Unless the incident happened near there, and they were aiming for Sable. It's almost directly in their path from Nova Scotia to the Azores.

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

@@myronbuck2436 small island big ocean. It could have. Either way they were together when they moved to gods place.

[@betsyj59]

Wouldn't the sailboat still have to be found in order to conduct an investigation into what happened?

[@bensmith6868]

Oceans a big place if it sank it will probably never been found

[@bobpfromm]

That was my first thought, too!

[@the_hero_inside]

So sad Terrible suffering from thirst especially when you are surrounded with water, liferaft had no supplies??? 😢Desalination containers and epirb not present?? Too sad

[@divingduck9]

get ur adventures when ur young. 2 30somethings woulda drank their own p & survived 30 days, not so 2 oldsters

[@jamiegoodman2091]

Someone else noted they were in their dinghy and not a life raft, so possibly no time to get to the life raft with the emergency supplies 😢

[@chrislynch8914]

They were not as prepared as they should have been and should have known.

[@rogerdickinson920]

EPIRB should be mandatory. Millions spent by SAR to search. Happens on land as well. Lost and never found or found dead much later. SAR is dangerous. Did it.

[@stephenburnage7687]

EPIRB's are kinda yesterdays technology. Most sailors, nowadays, have something like a Garmin InReach. In addition to emitting an emergency warning, you can send pull down weather reports and send text messages.

[@rogerdickinson920]

@@stephenburnage7687 I’ve seen them at a marine store Will get one… not sure which plan. Costs vary. They are still being sold though. Both frequencies I think

[@Frog13799]

​@@stephenburnage7687in my waters you won't even get your vessel Clearance without an epirb registered to your mmsi with a test certificate. I have sailed with in reach, I certainly wouldn't rely on it as a replacement for an epirb

[@michaelwest8595]

@@stephenburnage7687 they are still very relevant 20 years ago they were basic now they have unique digital codes that you have to register so they know whos it is and it embeds a gps location in the signal, they also have mandatory specs they have to float and transmit for a minimum amount of time, it is a true safety redundancy where as the other satellite products are primarily navigation and comms, not knocking them i use a garmin 67i but i also carry an epirb as a backup plus it doesnt require a subscription

[@user-zb5io8rg8w]

Please keep us posted. This is awful.❤❤❤

[@captlarry-3525]

Today the single greatest danger to sailors, and one which is totally unpredictable, are Semi Submerged Shipping Containers lost from the decks of cargo ships. It is long past time to put water triggered locator beacons and perhaps radar transponders on these things. The number lost is likely in the 1000's. Capt. Larry

[@snowleopard0412]

Transponder like aeroplanes ( or even better the ones suggested following post MH 370 recommendations ) is a nice idea

[@belovedwanderer8546]

Crazy how dangerous the ocean is

[@martinp.2753]

Yeah! Like nothing bad has ever happened at sea, what is going on here?

[@MegsCarpentry-lovedogs]

This is so sad. Condolences to family members.

[@HalifaxPeacock]

Something seems off about this situation. Could this couple have been boarded while sleeping and hijacked at sea? They are experienced sailors and yet no mayday call… no GPS location beacon?

[@almisami]

Could be a hijacking indeed.

[@dmitripogosian5084]

By who ? There is no land nearby (except Nova Scotia :) for pirate base

[@HalifaxPeacock]

@@dmitripogosian5084 They were found on Sable Island. That’s not far off the coast as the crow flies. RCMP should be investigating this as suspicious and retracing where the incident may have occurred based on weather and currents.

[@junecoulthard8942]

🙏🏼💟 Awe thats terribly sad. I'm just thankful they are both together. May they RIP 💕 My Condolences to their Family and Friends.

[@rayray8687]

I presume they didn’t carry any locating devices?

[@rb239rtr]

some people think that $400 is too much for a Personal Locator Beacon

[@gtxoiltastebad]

@@rb239rtr it is too much . If its not less then a $100 i'm not buying

[@kathrynturnbull990]

@@rb239rtr I wonder if they didn't have time to grab the locating device and it went down with their main boat...

[@almisami]

​@@kathrynturnbull990if you have to grab it, then it's not located where it should be.

[@dmitripogosian5084]

@@almisami I am still trying to parse this statement :)

[@motoryachtloon]

Such a shame. Very sad to hear.

[@jwrn4u]

Those containers bob up and down and may be just at the surface or just below it, almost impossible to see, and they have those sharp corners that can hole a boat, or rip off a rudder with rapid flooding, there’s documented cases. Of course a small berg could have the same result.

[@pjk1714]

Bless them, they did what they Loved together. Surprised though, no beacon or satellite phone. RIP 🕊️

[@sitonmyface1991]

So terrible wonder what happened to these pour souls . So sorry to hear 😢

[@thibaultkoudou8956]

Sad for the loss of these two sailors. They died doing what they loved. Condolences to their family. Btw... why do I have the impression that their story will end up in one of Mr.Ballen's videos?

[@Lauren-vd4qe]

My neighbors have sold their house and are about to go on a sailing trip, hes experienced with boats, she is a newbie. since she got the pokeydokey shes now had stg 3 brst ccr, and hes got what iridology calls the white ringed eyes of deth plus hes got asthma. they plan to sail around the med then hire couple guys to sail with with them back to nova scotia. plus they have 2 little dogs. Im very very afraid for them, theyre both over 60...i cannot see this ending well at all...

[@user-ql5hu1nl5d]

What's their names? We can message them on social media quoting your post.

[@gufftheclip]

curious how in this modern era of GPS/technology that someone operating an (assumedly) very expensive boat and life raft can just disappear and perish at sea.

[@PaulRudd1941]

Like another commenter said, some people think 400 dollars for a PLB or 2,000 for a satellite phone is too much money...

[@mikew3194]

Ever heard of mh 370

[@dmitripogosian5084]

It is not an expensive boat. Sailboats can be cheap. Equipment is expensive. But still people cross Atlantic in $20,000 boats after retrofit

[@divingduck9]

u think possession of 'modern' technology gonna save u??? mother nature still in charge:)

[@paulskopic5844]

Did these experienced sailors not have EPIRB's aboard?

[@idcraw]

I have owned a sailboat and spent nearly forty years in the Navy and the Atlantic in a storm in a forty foot sailboat not he same as sailing around Vancouver island .

[@Fred-vy1hm]

I was in the navy in esquimault way back when and there's an area just northwest of the island called whiskey 601 where 20-40 foot swells are the norm and gets worse the further north you go, our 366 foot vessel would pitch and roll pretty good, I certainly wouldn't want to get caught in it in a 40 foot boat.

[@roguesailing8052]

The scary reality of sailing 🙏

[@billt29928]

Do you have first hand knowledge of their experience? Because you're insinuating that they have only sailed around Vancouver Island, which isn't even on the Atlantic.

[@divingduck9]

@@billt29928 yea they from b.c.

[@codymoe4986]

You spent 40 years, in the Navy, in the Atlantic, in a sailboat around Vancouver Island??? Did you need some spare punctuation marks to borrow? Think of them as croutons for your word salads....

[@eyeluvchrist]

My condolences to their family and friends 😢

[@Bobobaggins93747]

I'm so sorry for their families. May they find answers and some peace during this difficult time. ❤❤❤ RIP

[@wkw4095]

So many questions here that need answering. Did they have an EPIRB? Usually family knows if they do...usually it's a gift from family. . Did they have a SAT phone? These are two basic tools for crossing an ocean. Something seems off.

[@buzz5969]

You writing a book or making a movie?

[@muskyful]

So sad to hear this....they were enjoying life & living their dreams. I watched their videos a few times in the past and its seemed that the boat was well maintained and shipshape. They did carry an emergency life raft on deck just forward of the companion way hatch and hard dodger/canopy. The inflatable dinghy was carried on deck forward of the mast. The boat was powered by electric motor, and the dodger/canopy, that fully covered the cockpit, carried plenty of solar panels to charge the battery banks for both e-motor & house needs. They also had a new wind generator, radar & recently updated their navigation with new B&G equipment. So they were well prepared and most likely had an EPIRB unit, as well. The boat (early model Gibsea 42 - acquired by Dufour Yachts) had a cast iron fin keel & spade rudder (not my choice for bluewater crossings). So it would seem that something brought them to an emergency abandonment of ship and not enough time or not able to access the life raft, EPIRB or ditch bag with emergency supplies? Hopefully more investigation will shed some light on this tragedy. Condolences for the family ..... hopefully answers will come soon on what may have actually happened out there.

[@falkpatt]

Thanks for the info. Very tragic, and I can't judge them, because even the most experienced of us can find themselves in a disastrous situation offshore, where even our careful prep and gear don't save us. One thing that sticks out to me is the use of electric propulsion. It's simply not safe in its current iteration/evolution for ocean crossings. You only have limited hours of use before your batteries go dead, and without sunny skies to recharge your batteries you are quite literally dead in the water. Ironically a storm is when you may need auxiliary power most, and this is exactly the situation you can't rely on electric power. 100 gallons of diesel can power a boat that size at least 500 miles (my boat has a range of around 560 miles with 85 gallons. I know we sailors like to think we can sail our way out of everything but there are a lot of situations where using the wind isn't viable (damaged rig, needing to maximize VMG against weather) and powering out is the only option. Lithium batteries are also a far bigger fire hazard in a lightning strike than AGM or flooded lead acid, and a lightning strike seems likely to be what happened here (explains why Epirb and sat-beacons weren't triggered). I'm seeing untested, largely jury-rigged electric engine kits being installed on young cruisers' boats on Instagram, and it's a risky proposition. Great for coastal and day sailing though. Whatever happened, terrible outcome.

[@REAL-NANO]

Rest in peace brave sailors.

[@velchuck]

😢. So sad. Condolences to the family and friends.

[@craighaley1658]

"May have taken their final voyage"? Does the reporter anticipate any posthumous tours? A corpse jaunt around the quay perhaps? A rigor mortus cruise of the Mediterranean?

[@elephantom12]

I found that very odd as well, buddy wasn't thinking when he said that.

[@raaaaaaarr]

Lmfao

[@BoboMcBooboy]

I took it as "one final voyage to heaven after" maybe??

[@TheIronDuke9]

I thought the same thing but then I figured it was because I don't think the police have given a final confirmation as to whether the bodies found were indeed the two missing people but all the evidence suggests that it must be them but until it's confirmed absolutely they use the word "may"

[@kathrynturnbull990]

@@elephantom12 he was saying it because the identity of the bodies have not been confirmed. It's the way you have to speak in the media (if you are respected media) when the facts are unconfirmed. It seems very likely that it's this couple though.

[@RandomDudeOne]

People sail across the Atlantic all the time, not sure what they were trying to prove doing the same thing.

[@margmcgill1645]

So sad. We’ve had such bad weather lately. Condolences to their families.❤️🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🇨🇦

[@leehalifax]

That is a brave journey on a smaller boat. Thats crazy. The atlantic is no joke people .

[@Mme.Swisstella]

I think i saw this boat moored in ives coves off mcnabs, as i was paddling about in my inflatable kayak, shortly before it departed -intended destination being the azores. I also happened to see the doomed 'Cheeky Rafiki' docked in dartmouth, having been retrieved subsequent to the multiple fatality tragedy. Sad Spooky :( Edit: i looked at my photos. Yikes i took 5 photos of the yet-to-be-doomed ship Theros as it was moored in ives cove 13:22hrs, 13:46-13:47hrs and then another after i landed on georges island 15:44hrs june 11 2024. Theros must have left late in the day, then.

[@OG_Wonder_Woman]

You should send your photos to the investigators. They might be of help to them.

[@catherinebreitfeller669]

So sorry 😢

[@annazaman9657]

So what happened?

[@svlonestar7645]

I'm a liveaboard, this is what can happen, accept it or don't go.. condolences to their family and friends.

[@beorbeorian150]

Seems the search might have been a bit light. They flew along the expected path and called it a day.

[@HustleBoss]

Condolences to the families 🙏

[@greyarea3804]

So sad to hear.

[@Biffo1262]

So very sad. RIP

[@markevans7066]

Most yachts that are crossing oceans have a life raft with an EPIRB along with water and food. You can see their life raft in the background in one of these pictures. Most vessels carry several other EPIRBS and Personal Locator Beacons. Any of these will give the authorities a precise location and they work anywhere in the world. You do not need to be "in range". Also, most yachts these days use some type of real-time tracking. Either Starlink and NoForeignLand, IridiumGo or Garmin Inreach Mini. It seems that this couple were not running any tracking otherwise their relatives would have known their location at all times. But I expect that they had most of this other standard gear. I would be amazed if they didn't have at least 2 EPIRBs or PLBs. Given all this, and the unlikelihood of pirates I would guess that there was a very sudden emergency. This made it impossible to deploy the life raft or activate an EPIRB. A very rapidly developing fire that damaged the raft could be the cause. The life raft is stored in the middle of the deck. Maybe the dinghy was stored on davits hanging off the back of the boat and it wasn't damaged by the fire? They may have found themselves standing on the back of a blazing boat with no way to deploy the life raft or go down below to grab an EPIRB. Of course, this is just guesswork but it's a possibility. Boat fires can develop incredibly quickly and be absolutely impossible to control. I guess another possibility is something that made the boat sink incredibly quickly such as being run down by a ship. However normally life rafts are equipped with a hydraulic release mechanism so they will inflate and bob to the surface automatically. And they managed to deploy the dinghy which is normally not easy. Typically, this will be lashed down with numerous lines while on passage. This makes me think that they had some time. A sad story. They were very unlucky. My condolences to the family.

[@fixento]

What is tragic is they didn't have an compact emergency satellite communicator, or emergency locator transmitter with them. Had they, they would have been located within a few days on the lifeboat.

[@buzz5969]

With hefty fees who can afford one…

[@eyesuckle]

@@buzz5969 People who can afford a 40-foot sailboat?

[@SusanA1056]

Calm winds and smooth seas...prayers for the family & friends.

[@ruthbickerstaffe1915]

This is very very sad. I wish Blessings on their families.🙏🇨🇦

[@lindamorton2066]

I’m so sorry. RIP.

[@captainkirk9691]

What happened to there boat i wonder.

[@IDontReadReplies42069]

Why, you want it? I guess they're not using it anymore

[@Kattaz0309]

@@IDontReadReplies42069 Because it could have been pirates?

[@twisterwiper]

As a fellow sailor, that is so sad to hear. I didn’t know them or followed them on SoMe, but I would expect someone who ventures out on the Atlantic to bring an EPIRB or PLB, but no distress call was issued? One has to wonder what went wrong. My thoughts with their families.

[@ghost_emoji]

Anyone can see the road that they walk on is paved in gold, it's always summer they'll never get cold 🎶

[@SuperLn1991]

The fact one of the probably died before the other one.... this is so sad... RIP.

[@tihomirgenev4838]

So sad.. sending my condolences 🙏

[@clairefarnell9489]

Very sad but i guess when you are the size of a grain of sand floating on what seems an infinity ocean.. .you must expect dangerous things to happen. May they rest in eternal peace.

[@leafyutube]

The ocean is unforgiving.

[@worstknightmayor4439]

Exposure

[@Mars-77]

Thirst

[@worstknightmayor4439]

@@Mars-77 dam!!! I would think that is worse than exposure.

[@Ont785]

No emergency call?

[@Querencia7779]

“…May have…” ? What?! They did. Dude, they DID.

[@register1430]

Curious to know if they sailed from VAN via Panama to Nova?

[@davemacmurchie6982]

Seems likely - one photo shows the boat's home port as Nanaimo

[@register1430]

@@davemacmurchie6982 missed their channel tag at the start. They show an animation doing that route. Thought possible they started with new boat from NS.

[@stephenburnage7687]

The normal W - E transatlantic small vessel route is the more southerly Bermuda to the Azores. The northern alternative (departing NE USA or Nova Scotia to the Azores or the English channel) is an acceptable alternative but can be subject to tougher weather conditions. It's still perfectly feasible if you have the right boat and pick the right weather window (typically best in early summer). I dont know when this tragedy occurred, but the most likely explanation is that they got caught by a bad wave, causing a capsize (which can destroy electronics, leaving you unable to communicate).

[@theresedillon576]

Peace to you both ❤🙏

[@jerryw5508]

Was there not a storm recently east of Nova Scotia this past month that could have swamped the boat forcing them into the life raft

[@carringtonherrington4025]

RIP how sad.

[@loisjclark]

“The elements are abusing the remains”??? What kind of bonkers world are we living in when someone comes up with that as a credible explanation of fact?

[@GroundbreakGames]

What exactly are you disputing? Of course the elements are abusing the remains... are you confused?

[@angstbringer2992]

It means they can't say it's them yet with 100% certainty because the remains are not recognisable, since they've been out in the open, under the sun, since June. Which part is confusing you??

[@muira58]

Probly his second language is English primarily French speaker

[@20bluelilies]

It's just an on the hop way of trying to say that the remains were visually not in a good state. They don't want to upset family and friends anymore than necessary. Surely this should be obvious to you?

[@bensmith6868]

“The birds are their faces so it’s taking a minute” is a bit hard for families to hear

[@tropicsandoceans7945]

Just viewed another video done about this. It appears they did have a life raft mounted on deck which should of deployed. Also it looks like they had an EPIRB, unfortunately it was mounted inside the cabin which means they would.of had to get to it and hand activate it. Not good.

[@samsails9820]

Conflicting information, a 10 metre inflatable and a liferaft are not the same thing

[@Tryp-j9d]

WoW! WHAT are the ODDS???!! They washed up ON SHORE, of a TINY ISLAND!!!!

[@raystephen3525]

Rest in peace they have seen some beautiful areas

[@AdventuresofanoldSeadog]

Terrible news. My thoughts are for their loved ones.

[@ronschwolsky1626]

Glad to see this comment and know that you are well Barry. Tragic news indeed. Cheers.

[@johnwang9914]

Did their raft not have an EPIRB. Was the transition from inexpensive and widely available analog EPIRB's to digital EPIRB's which simply did not become as available nor as inexpensive as the previous analog versions simply was not a good idea or did they want to restrict such devices to commercial businesses instead of private sailors... With analog EPIRB's, we even had inexpensive units that could be attached to personal flotation vests but try finding a similar digital system today. With an EPIRB, their location and them needing to be rescued would've been known within a day.

[@almisami]

If you can afford a boat and can't afford 400$ for a new EPIRB then you can't afford a boat.

[@johnwang9914]

@@almisami Back when EPIRB's were analog, a $300 to $400 personal EPIRB that you would attach to your life vest was easily found on the market but when they went digital, you tended to have a larger EPIRB packed with your life raft instead of a personal one. I guess people were just less concerned by the time the EPIRB's went digital. Though I haven't checked the prices of the digital EPIRB's recently, I remember that they were about $1,500 when the transition from analog to digital occurred. I think the analog ones only had to periodically send out a specific tone with your identifier and as several satellites passed overhead, they could calculate your location whereas the digital ones were of course more complicated.

[@divingduck9]

@@almisami amazing how so many gullible ppl think technology gonna save em! get real. had ur booster?

[@missmiss40258]

We had a horrible down poor last week. This is sad

[@Frog13799]

Very sad indeed, strange that no grab bag with epirb was avaliable. In my country you will not get your vessels safety clearance without having an epirb

[@divingduck9]

omg have u ever sailed in storms??? technology is not failproof!! woosh, there it goes. one big gust is all it takes

[@user-wu1vl4hc6g]

RIP. A couple living life of adventure to the fullest. Just a reminder how life can be cut short unexpectly/

[@arthur4818]

The picture of their boat doesn't show the sailboat with dinghy davits, which holds the dinghy for quick access. No sailor would attempt to cross an ocean towing a dinghy it's stored on deck and take a long time to put it in the water, this means they were sinking slowly and didn't have a life raft. For experience sailors, something seems quite odd for them to cross oceans without the proper safety gear and not having a ditch bag with communication devices

[@timmitchell6267]

Yeah, this makes no sense, why the dinghy not the raft? Raft failure maybe? But no EPIRB? That makes even less sense crossing the Atlantic.

[@Mme.Swisstella]

I took photos of this boat as it was moored in Ives Cove in Halifax Harbour as late as 3.44pm of the day it departed (June 11 2024) I can see the dinghy suspended off the stern via davits. Why would they leave so late in the day?

[@VIJAYzk]

Anyone venturing out to the ocean needs to contemplate the possibility of MOB and possible death. Either you'll go back to land or will spend an awful lot of time prepping.