CHEEKI RAFIKI

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Search for missing crew suspended - yacht relocated

The Coast Guard suspended its search at 10:00 p.m. on May 23, for the missing crew members of the "Cheeki Rafiki". At the request of the British Government, the Coast Guard resumed search efforts at 7:38 a.m. on May 20 having suspending its original 4,000-square-mile search on May 18 after the sailors had not been located. After an additional 21,000 square miles of searches, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended the second search. The time of suspension was midnight at the search area. Based on the extreme sea conditions at the time of distress, but assuming best-case emergency equipment, the estimated survival time past the time of distress was approximately 20 hours. Searches were suspended nearly 200 hours after the time of distress. Watchstanders from the 1st Coast Guard District command center worked around the clock to develop search patterns using weather and currents information. Multiple crews from military branches across the world saturated the search area offshore with no sign of survivors. Commercial vessels also assisted heavily in the search. After a Navy warship relocated the overturned sailing vessel on May 23, search planners confirmed the boat's life raft was secured in its storage space in the aft portion of the boat, indicating the crew had not been able to use it for emergency purposes. A U.S. Navy warship helicopter crew had located the overturned hull 1,000 miles offshore Massachusetts and within the U.S. Coast Guard's search area. There was no evidence to suggest the vessel was different from the capsized boat already located during searches on May 17. The warship diverted to the location and deployed a boat crew and surface swimmer to assess the boat. The surface swimmer confirmed the name on the ship was "Cheeki Rafiki" and went in the water to investigate further. The swimmer determined the boat's cabin was flooded and windows were shattered, contributing to the complete flooding inside. The swimmer also knocked on the hull and reached an arm's length below the waterline with no results. Navy crews observed that the sailing vessel's keel was broken off, causing a breech in the hull. The hull sighting has not impacted search planning as teams continued to look for a bright-colored life raft as their search object. Aircraft and vessels involved in the search were: ◾a U.S. Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina ◾a U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous, homeported in Cape May, New Jersey ◾a 106th Rescue Wing U.S. Air National Guard crew from Gabranski, New York ◾a U.S. Navy warship, homeported in Norfolk, Virginia ◾a U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter embarked aboard the U.S. Navy warship ◾a U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft from Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia ◾a Canadian military C-130 aircraft ◾a Royal Air Force HC-130 Hercules aircraft from Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom ◾the 672-foot motor vessel Premium Do Brasil ◾the 700-foot motor vessel Amapola ◾the 751-foot motor vessel AM Hamburg ◾the 551-foor motor vessel Independent Accord ◾the 600-foot motor vessel Teesta Spirit ◾the 652-foot motor vessel Georgia Highway ◾the 1,000-foot motor vessel Maersk Kure ◾the 600-foot motor vessel Bow Flora ◾the 477-foot motor vessel Chem Venus Report with photos: http://www.uscgnews.com/go/doc/4007/2168318/

Search to be continued until midnight

The search for the "Cheeki Rafiki" was to continue throughout the night of May 23 and into the day. If, by midnight, there were no further developments to indicate search efforts would locate the crew alive, the USCG planned to suspend the search. There were no significant sightings thus far and none of the debris or objects located during the search correlated to the "Cheeki Rafiki". Search conditions were favorable with winds around 20 knots and seas roughly 6-8 feet. Air crews from the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Air Force, Canadian military, and Royal Air Force worked with commercial vessels in the area to continue the extensive search. The Coast Guard Cutter "Vigorous" arrived on scene in the night and a U.S. Navy warship has commenced searches with their embarked helicopter. In total, efforts since resuming the search have covered more than 17,540 square miles of ocean. Report with photos and video: http://www.uscgnews.com/go/doc/4007/2167754/

Debris not correlating to missing yacht

The debris found by the "Malisi" did not correlate to the "Cheeki Rafiki". . Rescuers have scoured more than 9,000 square miles (23,000 sq kilometers) of ocean and completed at least eight searches since resuming the search. The search assets have found a variety of debris and trash during their searches. Report with photos and video: ://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2635955/Debris-not-missing-yacht-Cheeki-Rafiki-says-US-Coast-Guard.html