No trace of three missing sailors after Excalibur capsize

by Sail-World on 21 Sep 2002 Police divers today failed to find the three missing sailors under the hull of the stricken racing yacht Excalibur, now drifting about 170km off Newcastle, Australia.

A police spokesman said two water police vessels - Alert and Fearless - left
Nelson Bay early this morning to rendezvous with Excalibur.

He said weather conditions had improved but there was a 1.5m to 2m swell.
Water Police launched a RIB before reaching the yacht to make a full assessment.

After attaching air bags to the vessel as a safety precaution, six Police divers entered the hull where no trace of the bodies of the three missing sailors were found. Conditions were difficult within the hull and the bow section of the boat was unable to be searched because of the amount of sails and loose equipment present.

The 15.2 metre Lyons Extrem racing yacht Excalibur capsized off Port Stephens on Monday night after the yacht's keel snapped off. Authorities believe the boat had hit a semi-submerged object.

Two sailors, Brian McDermott and John Rogers, both wearing life jackets were on deck, wearing safety tethers at the time of the capsize. They were able to cut their tethers and escape to the surface. They survived for more than six hours in difficult conditions with 3m waves and 35-40 knot winds tethered together in the water.

Rogers activated his personal EPIRB and Search and Rescue aircraft saw the blue strobe light being held aloft by McDermott.

They were rescued from the water by the 50,000 tonne Swiss bulk carrier Curia.

The body of a third crewmember, Christopher Heyes, 51, was found on Tuesday morning floating near the overturned hull.

Police divers risked their lives later that day to scramble on to the upturned hull of Excalibur and knocked to see if anyone was trapped inside in an airlock. But there was no reply.

The air and sea search was suspended on Wednesday because of the treacherous conditions and a final intensive search was made on Thursday morning before the search was finally abandoned.

It was not until Saturday morning that the big seas had abated giving divers a safer chance in the search for three missing crew members.

Peter McLoyd, 51, Tracey Luke, 32, and Anne Marie Pope, 30, all from Melbourne
were below decks when the capsize took place and water started flooding in the companionway. However there were no bodies found today in the submerged hull.

The boat is expected to be raised onto a salvage vessel withing the next few days and a complete search will be able to be conducted at that time.