Suellen Desmarais from the Treasure Coast is preserving optimism after claiming that her brother and sister-in-law disappeared while residing on their boat in the Caribbean nation of Grenada.
Three escaped convicts, according to the police, may be related to their disappearance.
- Advertisement -
According to the victim’s sister, her brother Ralph Hendry and his spouse Kathy Brandel are the missing pair. The couple, who are in their 60s, resided on “Simplicity,” a catamaran boat.
Every winter season, they would spend time on their yacht in Fort Pierce, Florida, visiting with loved ones. However, this year they missed the vacation in favor of an incredible excursion to Grenada.
Desmarais shared that the couple lives a simple life, “This was their whole life, they didn’t own another home, they didn’t own cars they owned Simplicity.” She went on to say, “And when you were invited onto Simplicity, you were made to feel as magical as they were and as magical as that boat was.”
She is attempting to piece together what happened to the pair on this once-in-a-lifetime trip that has been planned for 12 years. Back in November, they set off for the island with a boating party from Virginia.
“What happened in Grenada was a perfect storm. It was a perfect tragedy of a perfect storm of a perfect love story,” Desmarais shared to reporters. “They went into town to have a little bite and to walk back (on Sunday),” she noted. “Somehow Ralph crossed paths in this teeny tiny town with these three men, what happened after that, we’re not sure.”
She thinks her brother could still be alive, as does his wife. To uncover the answers, friends, and relatives have been reaching out to the boating community. Since it has been difficult to find formal information, she is grateful for all their assistance and support.
Desmarais stated, “This tragedy that happened, it’s not just losing Ralph and Kathy, it’s losing a way of life. It is losing our center. They were our whole center.” The worried sister further stated, “There’s got to be a reason for this so maybe by being here we are saving someone else. What if Ralph’s boat hadn’t been there that day? What if he hadn’t gone into town? Would it have been the next boat?”
She claimed that in an effort to identify some of the couple’s discovered things, she noted that her son and the couple’s son will be visiting the islands at the invitation of the local police.
“Ralph and Kathy are the kindest people in the entire world and I just can’t understand how a tragedy like this could happen to people as kind and nice as them,” Desmarais remarked. “It feels made up and I just can’t comprehend why someone would do this? Why didn’t someone just take the boat?”
Desmarais isn’t giving up on the possibility of finding any answers.
Supporters and relatives claimed they had reached out to the office of U.S. Representative Brian Mast. Mast’s office replied: “Our office has been in communication with the family and State Department. The State Department told our office that they are doing all they can to assist the family.”
According to the Salty Dawg Sailing Association, the “warm-hearted and capable” pair were seasoned cruisers and longtime members of the group.
