A couple who sold their home in Virginia to retire at sea is missing, and authorities suspect that escaped convicts may have hijacked their yacht in the Caribbean. The couple, Kathleen Brandel and Ralph Hendry, were last seen in Grenada, with their yacht, Simplicity, later found abandoned on the island of St. Vincent. The couple’s family and the sailing community are deeply concerned about their whereabouts.
Grenada police believe that the couple may have been killed during the hijacking, but this has not been confirmed. The couple’s sons, Nick Buro and Bryan Hendry, are devastated by the news and are holding onto hope that their parents are still alive. However, evidence of a violent struggle on the yacht, including scattered possessions and bloodstains, suggests otherwise.
Kathleen Brandel and Ralph Hendry have been married for 27 years and have spent over a decade sailing around the world. They are described as loving, welcoming, and generous individuals who enjoyed immersing themselves in different cultures.
The Salty Dawg Sailing Association, of which the couple are members, stated that they participated in last yearâs Caribbean Rally and were cruising in the eastern Caribbean this winter. Fellow cruisers who knew the couple are shocked and devastated by the news.
The three prisoners who were allegedly involved in the hijacking had previously been charged with violent crimes in Grenada. Authorities are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident, sending senior investigators and forensic specialists to St. Vincent.
The search for Kathleen Brandel and Ralph Hendry continues in the Caribbean as their family and the sailing community wait anxiously for any updates on their whereabouts.
