A British man, who disappeared after embarking on a solo journey around the world in December, has been discovered deceased on a yacht off the coast of Jamaica. The ‘inexperienced’ sailor, 42-year-old Mark Brennan from South Shields, had gone missing nearly two months ago before his 30ft Avrio sailing boat was found drifting 71 miles off the Caribbean island on Monday.
Coastguards found a decomposing body in the hull, which was then towed into the Errol Flynn Marina in Port Antonio, where police confirmed it was Mr. Brennan.
Mr. Brennan had departed from the UK on December 6 for what was described as the ‘trip of a lifetime.’ According to local police, he sailed across the Atlantic to Barbados and then continued 162 miles to Grenada. He was reported missing 10 days later, while struggling for fuel and without a radio, phone, or dinghy, as reported by The Sun.
“He’s been found and that’s very upsetting. We’re waiting for the results of an autopsy,” said Mr. Brennan’s mother, Marjorie, 69.
The Jamaican coastguard located the sailing boat after being alerted to the presence of a British-flagged vessel by colleagues in the US.
A Jamaican defence force official reported, “The coast guard contacted us about the vessel and after members of our force entered the boat, we found a lifeless male body in there. We transported the body onto land, and the matter is now being investigated by the local police. A post mortem will be carried out to establish the cause of death.”
A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman stated, “We are supporting the family of a British man reported as missing in the Caribbean, and are in contact with the Jamaican authorities.”
A Northumbria Police spokesman also added, “We can confirm a 42-year-old from South Shields was reported missing on December 21 after he had set sail to the Caribbean. Enquiries have been ongoing to trace him, and we have since been made aware that authorities in Jamaica have recovered a body on a boat. A formal identification process is ongoing but it is suspected that the body is that of the South Shields man. The relevant authorities in Jamaica are carrying out inquiries to establish the cause of death, and we will continue to support their investigation in conjunction with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The man’s family are being offered support by officers, and they have requested that their privacy is respected at this time.”