By Rebecca Cohen, Mauricio Casillas, NBC Washington and David K. Li -
NBC News
Grenada police on Monday offered their "condolences" to the loved ones of two American sailors "discarded" at sea by prisoners who had escaped from a prison, while authorities still cling to a "low probability" that they American citizens may be alive.
Don McKenzie, Commissioner of the Royal Grenada Police Force, declared that Kathy Brandel and Ralph Hendry are classified as
"missing persons"
, but was decidedly pessimistic when speaking about the fate of the Americans.
According to McKenzie, three previously charged criminals escaped from jail on February 18 before "taking" the couple's boat, called Simplicity, and heading north.
Police have said that the escapees boarded the boat when it was docked in the St. George area of Grenada.
Kathy Brandel (front left) and Ralph Hendry (foreground right), with family.Courtesy Hendry Family
"They headed to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Information suggests that while they were traveling between Grenada and St. Vincent, they got rid of the occupants," McKenzie told reporters.
When asked if investigators have any idea where the "missing" Americans may be, McKenzie responded flatly, "No."
"We have nothing conclusive to say that the individuals are dead," McKenzie said.
"We still hold out hope that, despite what might be a low probability, they turn up alive somewhere, that they are alive."
The couple's children considered the couple's disappearance
"the rarest of rare events"
and cling to the hope that they are still alive.
[They identify the soldier who died after catching fire in front of the Israeli embassy]
Nick Buro, Brandel's son, and Bryan Hendry, Hendry's son, told NBC Washington that they first learned the couple was missing after U.S. consular officials in Barbados contacted them.
A good Samaritan who found the couple's boat abandoned contacted the Salty Dawg Sailing Association, whose flag was flying on the mast, and the information also reached the children.
According to Buro, they were told the couple had disappeared after three men who escaped from police custody on February 18 boarded the couple's boat in Granada the next day.
Buro stated that they were informed a "violent altercation took place on the ship," adding that there was evidence of the incident and that the couple's possessions were "scattered everywhere."
Some items were stolen.
"What I can convey to the family is my condolences and that we continue to wait for what I consider to be a positive outcome. We continue to hope that the worst possible scenario does not come true," McKenzie said.
The Royal Grenada Police Force stated on Thursday that clues suggested
the two people on board may have died
.
Buro stated that there is still no sign of the couple's bodies, but added that a search is underway "with the hope that they are alive. [...] Hopefully we can find them and bring them home and that is what we are working on." .
The fugitives were captured by police in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Wednesday, and are in custody there, according to Buro and officials.
Police told Buro they have questioned the suspects on multiple occasions, and said the family expects charges to be filed soon.
Both Buro and Hendry are in the Caribbean and have spoken to authorities, including the police and coast guard of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and expressed their gratitude.
[Information about the immigrant suspected of the murder of a nursing student is revealed]
A State Department spokesperson said it is aware of reports of two citizens missing in the vicinity of Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, but did not identify the couple.
The official added that US authorities are coordinating their search efforts with local law enforcement.
"We are monitoring the situation and seeking additional information," the spokesperson stated.
"The State Department has no higher priority than the well-being and security of American citizens abroad. We stand ready to provide appropriate assistance to American citizens and their families in need."
The Royal Grenada Police Force, the Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force and the State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment confirming the identities of the people aboard the vessel.
Life in the sea
The couple met in Virginia and have been married for 27 years.
They raised their children together in the state, where they lived until 2013, when they sold their Alexandria home to trade in Simplicity and life on the water.
"They wanted to see the world. They wanted to experience life. They wanted to see what the world had to offer outside of their small window of living in one place and being able to move around,
being able to have a different adventure every day
. That's like the definition of life," commented Buro.
He added that the family has always been united and that they talk often.
She considers Ralph Hendry his father and Bryan Hendry his brother, and knows that Hendry feels the same way about him and Brandel.
The couple "lived with a sense of wonder and love," Hendry noted.
"They loved immersing themselves in different cultures and meeting people and spreading their love wherever they could."
Buro echoed his stepbrother's sentiments.
"You will never meet more beautiful people than Kathy and Ralph," Buro said.
"They were there for people when they needed it most. They are my inspiration for everything and I can't express how much I love them and I know everyone who knows them feels the same."
[A 3-year-old boy whose mother “punished” by sending him to a man's house in Wisconsin disappears]
The couple had been planning the trip to Grenada - their first visit to the Caribbean island - for "many years, training, preparing the boat, preparing [...] to make the trip," Hendry explained.
It was going to be a "very long trip
, not to be taken lightly" and the couple thought they had "prepared adequately," Hendry said.
They made the trip with the Salty Dawg Sailing Association, and everyone arrived safely, Buro explained.
Bob Osborn, president of the association, declared that the event was disturbing and tragic.
"In all the years I have been sailing the Caribbean, I have never heard anything like it," he said in a statement.
Children do not lose hope
Buro believes his mother and stepfather could be alive.
"We still think there is a possibility that they are out there," Buro said.
As the investigation continues and St. Vincent and the Grenadines police "quickly arrested the suspects and are searching for [the couple]," there is hope.
"We still hope that they are well and that we can bring them back," Buro stressed.
He said the whole situation "is something completely unexpected" and that they are trying to understand the "
senseless act of violence
against two people who were just living their lives in their home [the ship]."
Buro added that the couple had worked hard on their dream and had become experienced sailors.
Simplicity "was his home," he said.
He said the couple's priority was always safety, "making sure everything they did was safe and was going to keep them safe."
[The controversy continues over the disclosure of telephone numbers that AMLO started. Now he criticizes YouTube]
"That something that was out of their control has taken that security away from them
is the most horrible and sad thing about all of this
, because it was something they had always wanted to do and they did it, and that breaks our hearts," Buro said.