Missing Skipper -- Please Help

[Siobhan Terry]

We are not sure if this is the right forum but we are hoping that someone may be able to help us.
My brother, Sean Terry, skipper of yacht Finnegan is missing at sea.He has been sailing for years and is very experienced.Sean, with an Austrian crew member left Chagos Island on 14 June for Madagascar. His crew member arrived at Coetivy Island on 25 June and reported that Sean was lost overboard on 19 or 20 June. We were only informed on 11 July. We have very little information other than that. Family members are currently in the Seychelles trying to find out what happened. There is an investigation underway.
We, his family are desperately looking for anyone who may have seen Finnegan or Sean. Any information that you have may be crucial. We are therefore trying to reach as many people as possible.
We would greatly appreciate any help
The Terry family

[captainKJ]

Good luck in your search,,,, the members of CF are thinking of you in your time of need

[Siobhan Terry]

Thank you
Can you tell me if we posted our appeal in the correct forum?
Terry family

[Dragon Lady]

Yes I think so, give it a bit of time for people to respond with all the different time zones around the world. People also log in at different locations as they move around so it may be a few days or weeks before someone has some useful information.
I hope you are able to find out what happened to your brother, I'm sure you will receive a lot of support on this forum.

[Siobhan Terry]

Thank you for your help

[GRIT]

www.Noonsite.com would also be a good place to post.

Good luck.
Paul.

[Stingo]

Siobhan, this is terrible news for you, your family and any one that knows Sean.

Some awkward questions need to be asked: Surely the best place to start is with the crew. They should know the circumstances of Sean falling overboard, the approximate lat & long, the time (not an approximate date), the weather conditions, what they did to try recover Sean, were Sean and the crew on good terms, where is the boat's log book, which authorities were notified on the boat's arrival in Coetivy Island.... I could go on, but there's a start for you.

[David_Old_Jersey]

There are others around here who know far more than me about the Chagos - but my understanding is that won't be very many cruising Yachts visiting at any given time.

Downside is that the potential numbers of people who could have encountered your brother will be small - upside is that those Yachts will have needed to check in with the authorities. If you can find out that information (personally or via your own officialdom) then can try and track folks down. They may even have supplied contact details (e-mail?). Failing that the Port of Registry would be useful, as well as vessel / owner / crew names....whether that be by then using official resources for contact details or via Mr Google (for a blog / website). Odds are that most folks will be unaware of the event, and even if they are likely that they have nothing to report - which I guess would nonetheless be useful for you to know.

If the crew was picked up from a previous port could also do the same there (and likely a bigger pool of yachts).

Would also be useful to say what the vessel type / model was - and with a picture of the boat and your Brother (some folks remember boats easier than faces!). if your Brother had a blog or website might also ring a bell for someone.

If you have access to any computer he kept onboard might find out whether he is on any forums - he may have shared info (concerns?) with others online that is relevant.

But also to bear in mind that if someone goes overboard (and that can happen easily / for the most stupid of reasons - no matter the experiance of the person involved, indeed "knowing what you are doing" can be part of the cause) then in practice sometimes very little that folks onboard can do, especially if they go overboard without anyone immediately noticing (and also keeping them in sight until recovered). The sea is very big - even someone 100 metres away can dissapear from view, and a boat can travel that distance in a minute or 2. Even half an hour later would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

[europaflyer]

BBC News - Arrest over British yachtsman missing in Indian Ocean

According to the BBC this morning, his crewman has been arrested.

[Dragon Lady]

yes, saw that very sad, lots of unanswered questions.
Condolences to the family.

[Siobhan Terry]

The crew member has not been arrested, he is however, being held in custody while the investigation is under way.
We are still trying to locate any vessels that were in the vicinity of the MOB coordinates (S07 degrees 56,313 E059 degrees 52,05) around the 22nd June. We have been in touch with shipping tracking services but no replies. Any other suggestions that might help?
Thank you again.
The Terry Family

[JusDreaming]

as mentioned above, "Noonsite" would be one site, and possibly "SSCA" SSCA Forum • Index page

[Vasco]

British round-the-world yachtsman Sean Terry murder fears - Telegraph

[nosinglesource]

Terry's family have just posted this on the Facebook page, related to the case:

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED TODAY:

STEFAN POKORNY CHARGED ON TWO ACCOUNTS OF NEGLIGENCE.

The Terry family in Cape Town were notified today that at the court hearing this morning in the Seychelles, Stefan Pokorny was charged under two articles of Seychelles law to do with negligence. (Details of the negligence cases have not yet been clarified to the family) They were told that in two weeks Pokorny will enter his plea and a trial date will be set.

"We are still trying to come to terms with the devastating loss of Sean. We have never believed that he jumped overboard and the family is encouraged by the court's decision today. We are extremely grateful to Superintendent Marie of the Seychelles police and are hopeful that we will, in time, be provided with the answers we need". said Terry’s sister.

A very sad case. I can't imagine what they are, and have been, going through. I can't help but think that closure is cold comfort when a loved one is gone.

[The Blue Heron]

Terrible. I hope your family gets closure. Good luck!