Two sailors are missing in the eastern Caribbean Sea after three escaped prisoners hijacked the yacht they were on.
The boat's occupants are believed to be US citizens, but their whereabouts and condition are uncertain.
The three prisoners who were arrested are believed to have commandeered the yacht from Grenada's capital, St. George, and sailed 80 miles to the neighboring island of St. Vincent.
The yacht's owners have not been officially identified, but the nonprofit Salty Dawg Sailing Association has identified them as Ralph Hendry and Cathy Brandel.
She said they were “veteran cruisers” and long-time members of the association, describing them as “warm-hearted and capable.”
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The association said it was contacted by a cruise captain about a member's yacht, Simplicity, which was found “anchored and abandoned” offshore on the island of St. Vincent.
The association said in a statement: “A good Samaritan boarded the boat and noticed that the owners…were not on board and found evidence of clear acts of violence.”
Bob Osborne, president of the association, said: “This is a very disturbing event and the authorities are still uncertain about the details, but this appears to be a tragic event.” “In all my years of sailing in the Caribbean, I've never heard of anything like this.”
Authorities in Grenada said they sent investigators to St. Vincent, where the escaped prisoners were captured on Wednesday.
The prisoners, aged between 19, 25 and 30, were charged with one count of robbery with violence. Police in Grenada said the eldest son was also charged with one count of rape, three counts of attempted rape and two counts of indecent assault causing hurt.
The three men escaped from their cell on February 18, according to police.
