Missing Bermudian Sailors Are “Safe and Well”!
This evening [Jan 3] officials at the Bermuda Maritime Operations Center released a statement confirming the very welcome news that the two missing Bermudians aboard the “Carefree IV” are “safe and well.” The boat is approximately 150 miles southeast of Bermuda with the two sailors aboard.
A spokesperson said “At 4:26 pm local time Monday 3rd January, RCC Bermuda received a report from the Master of the 24,555 gross ton Bulk Carrier M/V Bay Ranger that they had been in VHF radio telephone contact with the S/V Carefree IV in position approximately 150 nautical miles southeast of Bermuda.”
“The crew were safe and well, though tired and requested provisions and fresh water to continue their voyage to Bermuda, which M/V Bay Ranger provided. After the transfer of provisions M/V Bay Ranger continued on her voyage from Houston, Texas, USA to Cadiz, Spain.”
Bermudians Carlos Rogers, 41, and Kwesi Hollis, 36, left the Dominican Republic on December 1 on the 31-foot yacht, and had been due to arrive in Bermuda before Christmas.
“Carefree IV” has not been seen since December 18 when a diverted merchant ship provided the UK registered boat with emergency supplies. The crew had requested assistance because they had run out of food, water and gasoline. The vessel that diverted was able to supply the two sailors with “60 gallons of water and enough food for 7 to 10 days,” said U.S. officials.
American officials said: “Citing several reasons for concern including the condition of the sailing vessel, the apparent lack of experience of the crew and their lack of an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, RCC Bermuda asked the Coast Guard to assist in relocating the vessel.”
The U.S. Coastguard C-130 aircraft had conducted an aerial search for the missing boat, covering an area of 19,000 square miles to the East and Southeast of Bermuda just before Christmas. On December 29, a vessel from the Dominican Republic Navy division also searched for the two men.
That is good news!! Nice to hear there safe……
There is a GOD! This is awesome news for both families. Can’t even begin what they had to go through over the Hoidays. This is a true testament of ‘There’s a blessing in the storm!’
Believe whatever you like
YES!!! that’s what’s up!! what do all the naysayers have to say now!!! They were able to turn away from the storm and sail to safety!!! to God be the Glory!!! and I’m just calling it as I see it!!!!
yah yah yah…
Believe whatever you like
Mwuaahhh! hugs and kisses! GOD loves you and I do too!!! Mwuaahhh!
I don’t want your hugs and kisses and you don’t love me abut you can believe whatever you like.
SMH and laughing!! so sad…Misery loves company….But God is good!!! and I am a believer!!!!
Well said areUserious. Keep on praising “THE ALMIGHTY”. Blessings come in many different ways. I got a blessing tonite. Got 6 yes 6 lovebirds. Bless Up My Friend.
when they finally arrive would someone please point out this Jesus to me please
We get it. You’re an atheist or something.
Whoopie for you.
The way your going you will probably never get to meet him…but than again..My God is a forgiving God so he’ll have room for you!!
your god?
you created this god did you?
Waste of time responding to you..You have your belief and even though I don’t agree with it I will respect that!!! You just do you and allow me to do me…
Either you really are a lost soul or you like attention!!!
I hope and pray that you never need the help of others, I hope your family never sees tragedy. God Bless you
An estremely lucky pair. I’m sure there will be many to welcome them at the dock here.
Great news for their families, I can only imagine what they must have been going through over the holiday, waiting for news of their loved ones. God is great….
Was there not way to call home if your loved ones expected you before Christmas? Did I hear the news say they were on land????? Ah hello????
I am elated to know they are okay.
I’m glad the two men are safe and well. I hope they are given a wonderful home coming by the Guardian and a few of Her Majesties crew.
Well said!!
Truly the prayers of the island have been answered. I knew people close to both families indirectly, and I know that they are elated that their family members are safe.
On another note… I have a question, when we call for the cost guard to look for someone who pays the bill, regardless of the out come?
‘cost’ guard is right too…
I bet there’s a lot of people wondering that too
Please explain WHY that is important? I guess you feel YOUR footing that bill too??? Safety is paramount over money any day!!!
PS. If the cost is too much should we call them if YOU or a Member of your Family go missing?
AUS, since cost is not an issue perhaps YOU would like to pay the bill. I suspect the US taxpayer foots the bill. Aircraft operation runs tens of thousands per hour (there is much more to it than just burning fuel).
There are cases now where those rescued are being billed for the costs, especially if the search was made necessary through their own stupidity. They have placed themselves in danger & placed the rescue crews in danger too by having to come look for them. What about the families of the CG whose people are placing themselves at risk because of the stupidity of others?
Maybe the Coast Guard should bill these two Bermudians.
The question of course is…why were they making the trip? Lets hope the welcoming party finds out.
Mr Cynical comments yet again..why is the cost important? are YOU paying for it? Wow!! Just continue on with your perfect little, never making a mistake, got it going on self…SMH I just hope you never require a service that would cause others like yourself to inquire well how much does it cost?? I would think that there is some sort of funding for that and allowances are made it is a job after all for heavens sake and they would get paid regardless. If it is ruled that the rescue was a result of their (using your words) own stupidity then if they have to foot the bill so be it…none of OUR business!!!
And the reason for their trip is again none of OUR business. They are SAFE!somebodies son, father, uncle, brother, are alive and well! stop focusing on the negative!!
Nothing happening in your neck of the woods that you can comment on? Or do you have to constantly look up to see whats going on in Bermuda???
Always producing negative energy!!! try and be more positive..trust me you would have a much brighter outlook on life!!! Stop letting “dollars” and “cents” and speculation and assumptions rule your world!!!!
Nice.
They are 150 miles traveling against the wind ans tired. They are still a long way off and are not out of the woods. It will be a while before they arrive if they do not ask for help.
I’m glad they’re alive and well. (Customs better be sure to check that boat).
Yep . . . like they should check that hundreds of yachts that come and dock up at Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and the likes of others!!!!
GOD IS GOOD!!!!!
God is good.. I am family of Kwesi Hollis and boy am I feeling good today !
@ Bernews… I like your site, but all this negativity has got to go. You fix up comments before they are aired, so how about asking some folk to keep off the site -FOR GOOD- IF THEY HAVE NOTHING GOOD TO SAY !!! There is power in the tongue and I can just imagine what these people are on the streets saying… Mercy !!
@Customs better be sure to check that boat). i’m sure they have gotten word of all of the law enforcement and media attention their episode has generated and IF there was anything untoward on that vessel it is long gone by now!!!
Are the guys being escorted home now that they have been found I didn’t see that mentioned?
You can’t put a cost on a life, so who cares how much it costs.
Thank you for that! for all those that didn’t get it the first time..YOU CAN’T PUT A COST ON LIFE, SO WHO CARES HOW MUCH IT COSTS!!!!!!
Cost??….Customs???Not believing in God???….You are the ones that are destroying the Island with your negative vibes..you must be some very unhappy people to turn such positive good news into something negative. God has blessed these me and I look forward to their return home.
Thank you!!!!!!
With all due respect, they were leaving D.R. roughly the same time another small boat left D.R and was busted with millions of dollars of drugs… so to say customs shouldn’t in some way be suspicious is definitely being either naive or turning a blind eye.
Must admit that I haven’t seen so much negativity from certain posters in a long time.
Thanks Bernews for the constant updates and great work you guys do keeping the island informed and an excuse to ramble on.
The comments posted on this article are tame compared to the trash posted by my fellow ugly Americans when it comes to near or actual tragedies. Go to the Yahoo news web site if you care to sample some examples.
Well put John Papa. I don’t do any of those because they all are a ‘constant’, an avenue to vent et al.
Bernews is new on the scene, independant and good Lord do a far better better job than the local media with their millions and staff structure and support services.
Like any outlet, there are those that will abuse it. MOst of my comments are serious but I do throw some rogue and dry humor in from time to time.
Now back to regular programing………….
I love bernews, but everyone fails to realize that the other media outlets a) have a reputation, bad or good, that they cannot hurt more but posting whatever they want, whenever they want. as a new source, and one who people are happy to see, bernews has far more leeway in when and what htey post.
There have been bernews posts that were later corrected, and people just said “meh, everyone makes mistakes”, yet simple spelling errors in RG that people go crazy after…
also, while everyone says bernews is always there and on top of things, there have been days were nothign has been posted (and not too long ago), yet the RG had postings, and no one noticed.
Like i said, i love bernews, but this constant “omg you’re so much greater then those “other” outlets is starting to seem a bit too biased for me.
Thanks for the post and I see many of your points, recalling we in the media are friends, we work together and see each other all the time at press conferences, accidents etc. Some very nice people work in the media, many of whom I count as my friends. As a note on the ‘days nothing was posted’…since Bernews launch 10 months ago there has never been a day we haven’t posted. Every day, including holidays, Bernews has updated, which archives show. Not quite sure why, but its something personally important to me. Even if the news cycle is slow, we do historical pieces, photo galleries etc to ensure the posting cycle is consistent and daily.
That said, some days we aren’t exactly full of exciting news and have ‘our not so great days’ [to put it politely!].I am still the only full time staff member, so I am acutely aware of the daily postings, as I haven’t had a day off yet. Lucky I love my job lol…
Sorry to take the comments off track, back as we were…
Patricia
Ah sorry Pat! no, you def do a great job, perhaps i am just thinking of the fb part of bernews when i mentioned it.. ..
aside, apologies if it seems i was knocking bernews… not at all.. great to have you around.
Thanks Scott and no problem. Yes, you’re right, somedays I don’t post on FB, or Twitter for that matter…
Praise GOD. Our GOD is an awesome GOD, He reigns from Heaven above with Wisdom, Powe and Love. Let’s continue to pray for a safe return home.
Wow by the time they reach Bermuda they are going to be very experienced sailors. I think they finally should have tacking down^^
In reference to your headline title:-
Missing Bermudian Sailors Are “Safe and Well”
After what they have gone through and with 150 miles to go, they are not ‘Safe and Well’ until they are standing on dry ground and had a medical checkup.
I have looked at this photo 100 times.
Anyone see what I see?
Not sure if its the same as what you are seeing, but I don’t want to speculate.
Speculation and fact are just that.
If your not sure, tell me what you see.
Is it a tear in the sail?
I see at least 3 tears:
- the headsail (at fron of the boat) is torn — see the left side of the sail and notice a white line going up — that is the edge of the sail and between there and the solid white part is where it is torn.
-the mizzen sail (back of boat) seem to have at least two small tears where you can see through it, but hard to tell because of the angle of the sail.
This is consistent with the report from the first ship that provided them with food and water — the ship in the photo – that “the crew of the merchant vessel noted that the sails, although in poor condition, were usable”.
Apparently Arthur you’ve never sailed the Oceans. They are safe and well and dealing with the effects of being at sea all this time. If they were not, they would have asked to be taken from the vessel and or requested a tow.
As for “medical checkup”…bwahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
I am sure they are fine, missing thier peas/rice KFC. If they needed Med. they would have asked for it.
If their real seaman, they accept their fate and the challenges that take you from A to B.
Pt 1: Nope…I never have sailed the oceans, but I would if given a chance…with an ‘Well Experienced’ sailor.
Pt 2: How are you so ‘sure’ they are fine? Have you spoken to them or do you have some special info/source that no one else has access to?
Sorry I did not know that ‘all’ passing ships carry ‘all’ meds that may be required by a person i.e. Diabetes, Heart, etc. etc.?
I can call on 18 yrs of medical experience as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) of dealing with hundreds of victims/patients that said/thought they were well and they were not!
Pt 3: Your comment on “IF their real seaman” (I guess you mean if they’re real seamen) cannot honestly be answered by me as I do not know them nor do I know what a ‘real seaman’ is. Please feel free to enlighten me.
can someone please tell me if that vhf radio can be used to contact the coast guard or not? If it can, please tell me why they did not do so in order for them to escort them to safety? The coast guard cutters will usually tow the wayward vessel back to land without abandoning it so I dont understand why they would not contact them? and yes, praise God that they are alive and well but let’s not blindly ignore the “possible” illicit cargo they may have been carrying. turning a blind eye for years is part of the reason we now have young men killing each other. are we our brother’s keeper or not? again, thank God their lives have been spared
No they would have not been able to call coast guard or harbor radio with their VHF radio. Their system is not strong enough they would be able to communicate with other boats within 50 miles of them and that might be stretching it.
Let me make it a little clearer, being hundreds of miles away from land, Bermuda nor the coast guards would hear them. It seems to me they were signaling for a boat in the area and this last boat picked up their signal. Obviously this was the only boat that was in range. When you read the article it will state the merchant ship contacted Bermuda, as these guys get within 30 miles of Bermuda they will be able to talk to harbor radio.
Update Bernews if any please. When will the get to Bermuda ? Thanks
Any update Bernews?
It is a week gone by since the “they are safe and well” news broke.
Nothing yet Mr Raynor….we check with Harbour Radio daily, and no news. At last check, Harbour Radio were calling out for them, no answer.
Another week has passed since I last posted looking for any update.
I would like to think they are ‘safe’ at home avoiding the news media’s but…
Maybe they should call the fishing boat that went out to meet them………….
So, do we think they’re still “safe & well” ?
Terry u just seem to know it all don’t you! The real bright a** with all the wrong answers hahahaha and why don’t u help with that call to the fishing boat that went out to meet them find that out come back tell me when u find that one out! Step off ya high horse! U nah know ish!