We never like to have to report stories like this. Our sincerest condolences to Rob Anderson and all of Jan Anderson’s loved ones.
A woman swept overboard in the ill-fated North American Rally To The Caribbean [NARC] had asked friends and family not to worry about the vessel’s stormy passage to the island in a blog updating the yacht’s progress.
American Jan Anderson, sailing with her husband Rob, was lost overboard from her cruising sailboat Triple Stars on Friday approximately 285 miles northwest of Bermuda.
According to the US Coast Guard report, a radio call from Rob Anderson stated that his wife Jan had been swept overboard by a 30-foot wave.
A freighter, High Jupiter, was diverted to the scene to search for Mrs. Anderson and also took Mr. Anderson off Triple Stars. NARC organizers said the boat was abandoned.
The Coast Guard launched an HC-130 Hercules rescue crew from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, to assist in the search for Mrs. Anderson.
The search was abandoned November 12.
The NARC — sailing from Rhode Island to Bermuda and then on to St. Martin in the Caribbean — was disrupted by gale-force winds and stormy seas produced by a week-long low-pressure front which developed into Tropical Storm Sean.
Another vessel in the NARC fleet was abandoned on the high seas last week, its crew rescued by the Bermuda freighter Oleander, while a third yacht participating in the regatta had to be towed into St. George’s harbor.
The regatta — which got underway on October 30 — is open to veteran offshore sailors and professionally crewed boats.
For the complete story, go to www.bernews.com.
In not a single article about this tragic event has there been a mention as to whether Jan was wearing a harness and using a tether. Could the use of one have made a difference? By the way, in really bad conditions I would opt for a helmet too. The tether might keep you on board, but hitting your head can hurt you just as much as being washed overboard.