Father of missing Baltimore sailor confident son will be found after vanishing off Mexican coast

BALTIMORE -- It has been three weeks since anyone has had contact with Donald Lawson, the Baltimore sailor who disappeared in the Pacific Ocean last month. 

For the first time, we are hearing from Lawson's father. He told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren he is not giving up hope. 

"We don't feel helpless," Tony Lawson said. "It's a team effort. It's a family effort, and we're just doing whatever we can to locate Donald."

Tony Lawson has always believed in his son, an accomplished sailor who vanished while on a solo trip to bring his boat, the Defiant, from Acapulco, Mexico .to Baltimore through the Panama Canal. 

The Mexican Navy found the boat last week about 400 miles south of Acapulco. Donald was missing and so was his life raft. 

"The good news is that big raft isn't on there yet, which means Donald jumped into that raft. We're confident of that. He probably grabbed a bunch of water and food. Donald is in that raft. He's too highly skilled not to do that," his father said. "I think Donald would want the world to know that he's going to get this done. He's confident he's going to be rescued. He would want the world to know, 'I'm a survivor. I'm confident I'm going to be rescued.' I think Donald wants the world to know he's going to get this done."

The Baltimore native's passion for sailing began at age nine. "When Donald would go to the library, he would take out books on sailing, books on boating," his dad said.

He and his wife later started the Dark Seas Project. 

"He really wants to make the sailing community broader, more diverse," his father said. "Baltimore City should feel proud to have someone like Donald representing us."

Lawson worked for months preparing the Defiant. After returning to Baltimore, he had planned a fall trip to break a world record: to become the fastest person to sail around the world by himself.

"What did you say to him before he went off on this journey?" Hellgren asked. His father laughed as he replied, "Are you sure you want to sail around the world by yourself?"

"He made many improvements to the boat. It was geared so one person could sail it," the elder Lawson said. "Of course, as his parents, we'd prefer someone else was with him to go back home."

The proud father told WJZ whatever happens his son's drive to succeed should be a lesson to everyone. 

"Go for your goals. Don't let anybody tell you what you can't do because you can if you have the drive, and Donald was proof of that," he said. "Who would expect some young little kid originally from Baltimore City to accomplish all that Donald has accomplished?"

The entire Lawson family is working to get updates from the U.S. Coast Guard and officials in Mexico. Some days, they hear very little but strongly believe Donald Lawson will be found and back in his hometown to continue sailing. 

"We're confident he used whatever skills he needed to survive," Tony Lawson said.

The elder Lawson thanked everyone for their well-wishes on behalf of the family.