Three American Sailors Missing

In the picture above are the three missing sailors.

In the picture above are the three missing sailors.

Kayla Brainard, Staff Writer

On April 4, 2023, three American sailors went missing while cruising off the coast of Mexico. The three sailors were identified as Kerry and Frank O’Brien and William Gross. Since their disappearance, the Coast Guards and Mexican Forces have searched 200,000 square miles and have spent a total of 281 hours. The sailors set sail in a 44-foot fiberglass sailing vessel named “Ocean Bound”. They were last seen sailing the Pacific coast port Mazatlan, Mexico. The trio had planned to stop for supplies in Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula before setting sail to San Diego. Frank and Kerry both have Captain’s licenses from the US Coast Guard. William Gross is a mechanic and sailor with 50 years of experience on the open water. The trio’s boat, which was built 35 years ago lacks GPS tracking technology, and cell service in that part of Mexico is limited. “It’s just been a roller coaster of emotions the last several days; I want my dad home, I want him safe, I want the O’Brien’s home safe,” Spicuzza told ABC. “An exhaustive search was conducted by our international search and rescue partner, Mexico, with the U.S. Coast Guard and Canada providing additional search assets,” Coast Guard Cmdr. Gregory Higgins said in a statement. “SEMAR [The Mexican Navy] and U.S. Coast Guard assets worked hand-in-hand for all aspects of the case. Unfortunately, we found no evidence of the three Americans’ whereabouts or what might have happened. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of William Gross, Kerry O’Brien and Frank O’Brien.” The trio likely encountered significant weather and waves as they attempted to sail their sailboat from Mazatlan to San Diego. Higgins had expressed concern because the weather in that region worsened around April 6, with swells and wind creating waves potentially over 20 feet high.