Mystery Deaths of Cruising Sailors in popular anchorage
by La Estrella/Sail-World Cruising on 6 Jun 2009
Amador Causeway with boats SW
Authorities are mystified by the deaths of two cruising sailors on their yacht Advayta at Amador, an anchorage at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal.
The two sailors have been identified as Yelena Chevova, 35, and Stanilav Dubrovskiy, 39, both carrying Russian passports.
Amador is a well-known anchorage used by cruising sailors either either before or after their transit of the Panama Canal. It is popularly used as an anchorage for resting, repairing and provisioning before the long sail across the Pacific Ocean. Local cruisers reported that the couple had been in the area for about a month, and were in the middle of a round-world cruise.
Panama's National Police reported the grizzly discovery on Wednesday. The Police Commissioner, Mauricio Nelson said that there were no signs of violence on the vessel and they are exploring the possibilities that the deaths were the product of an intoxication.
According to witnesses, the police were alerted after Chevova came onto the deck of the yacht yelling in a strange language.
Fisherman who were nearby came to her assistance but she fainted. The men then decided to check out the vessel and discovered the body of Dubrovskiy.
They immediately called 911, but Yelena died when they moved her to a nearby beach.
The preliminary reports of the autopsies revealed that the couple died of poisoning, but the Forensic Medicine Institute did not give any details about the toxin as it has not yet been identified.
The investigations of the mysterious deaths of the two Russians continue.
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