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Yacht with dead crew taken to Mayotte
French authorities in Mayotte took control of the 'Acteon', and it was either towed or escorted to port, where it has remained moored since Dec 10. According to some international media sources, authorities from France, South Africa, Mauritius, and Mozambique were coordinating in the ongoing investigation. The French-registered yacht had departed Réunion Island on a long ocean passage towards Durban, South Africa, and was sailing in the Mozambique Channel, the stretch of the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Mozambique. She left Durban on Oct 15 at 07:54 a.m. GMT (11:54 a.m. Mauritius Time), bound for Zanzibar, which she reached on Nov 11. Following this, the crew decided to sail south via the Mozambique Channel towards Durban. On Nov 23, the yacht broadcasted her last position via AIS, which plotted her at approximately 15 nautical miles from the Quirimbas Archipelago, Tanzania. Shortly afterward, the yacht was found drifting in the Mozambique Channel. It appears that on Nov 2the crew issued a distress signal that was received by a nearby cargo ship. Responding vessels, including cargo ships and another yacht, reached the 'Acteon' and were eventually able to board it. Onboard, they discovered the bodies of Deirdre “Cookie” Sibly, a 67-year-old Australian from Port Lincoln, South Australia, and Pascal Mahe, a French national. Both were described by family and acquaintances as highly experienced sailors who had been on an extended cruising voyage for several months. At this stage, authorities have not confirmed an official cause of death. Some family members and commentators have speculated about piracy, given occasional maritime crime in parts of the region, but no pirate attack or other specific cause has been verified.
Pair found dead aboard drifting yacht
The Australian sailor Deirdre Sibly, 67, and the French sailor Pascal Mahe have been found dead on board the 'Acteon' while travelling through the Mozambique Channel between Madagascar and Mozambique. The alarm was raised, after a distress signal was transmitted from the yacht on the evening of Nov 26. A nearby cargo vessel responded and notified French authorities after attempting without success to make contact with those on board. The ship’s crew approached the drifting yacht but could not safely board, prompting two additional vessels to assist. Sailors from one of those vessels eventually managed to get onto the 'Acteon' on Nov 28 at 10 a.m., where they discovered the bodies of a man and a woman. There was no sign of life on the boat, when the first responding ship attempted to make contact. On Dec 1, the yacht remained adrift under sail and was being monitored, last known position: 19°25.58 S 038°55.48 E. while arrangements were made for its recovery and for the continuation of the investigation. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was providing consular assistance to the family of the Australian. Officials in South Africa, Mauritius and France were coordinating with authorities in the region as inquiries continued. The pair had met on Réunion Island in June and later set sail down the Mozambique Channel towards Durban, where the 67-year-old Australian had planned to fly home. Sibly had been travelling across the Indian Ocean since June and was well-known among her friends as an adventurous sailor who spent much of her life on the water. The Mozambique Channel is widely regarded as a dangerous region for maritime travel due to harsh sea conditions influenced by the Agulhas Current, which can generate powerful rogue waves. It also sits within a cyclone-prone area often referred to as “Cyclone Alley”. Sibly’s sister noted that the channel was not a safe place to sail and that Sibly had been aware of the risks. Concerns about maritime violence in the region have grown in recent years. Security assessments have previously indicated that South-East African waters have become increasingly attractive to pirate groups searching for poorly defended vessels. These incidents have targeted both recreational and commercial craft moving through areas such as the Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar, Mozambique and South Africa. Authorities were working to determine how the tragic deaths occurred. Sibly’s family said they are hoping for clarity as the investigation continued. Report wiith photos: https://7news.com.au/news/australian-sailor-feared-dead-in-african-waters-as-authorities-recover-bodies-from-yacht-c-20824599
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