Wife of missing Baltimore sailor identifies his sailboat as vessel spotted off Mexico coast
BALTIMORE -- The wife of missing Maryland sailor Donald Lawson has positively identified the vessel that was found roughly 300 nautical miles off the coast of Mexico as his sailboat.
A United States Coast Guard cutter has been dispatched to assist in searching for the missing sailor and is en route to the location, according to a representative for Lawson's family.
Lawson, a Baltimore City native, was preparing to break a world recording this Fall in an attempt to circumnavigate the globe solo on a trimaran without stopping; a voyage that is estimated to take 74 days to complete.
The captain was in Mexico where the sailing yacht underwent repairs.
On the way home to Baltimore, his wife, Jacqueline Lawson, reported that bad weather had knocked out equipment on board and all communication was lost after July 12.
In a statement Tuesday evening, Jacqueline Lawson wrote:
"We are aware of unconfirmed reports that Donald's sailboat, Defiant, may have been spotted by the Mexican Navy approximately 275 nautical miles off the coast of Acapulco. We are currently awaiting additional information and confirmed reports from Mexican authorities of Donald and his Trimaran. The search for Donald and SV/DEFIANT continues.
"Please note that the 'AMVER Alert' (Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System) has been updated.
We are not giving up hope and we are remaining hopeful of his return. He is an experienced sailor who is well-equipped to expertly handle these types of challenging weather conditions in the Pacific. We are continuing to pray that Donald will be found and will soon return home safely to his family, friends, and sailing supporters.
"If anyone does have any information, please reach out to the Mexican Navy and US Coast Guard. Thank you."
Lawson first found a love for sailing at the age of 9, according to President and CEO of Living Classrooms James Bond.
While his eyes are set on breaking several world records, he's also breaking the glass ceiling as a Black sailor.
"Donald is pushing for diversity so that black and brown people of all ages can have the opportunity such as he's experienced to be on the water, experience the thrill of sailing and all the life lessons that that provides," said Bond.
In part, Lawson and his wife founded Dark Seas Project to bring visibility to African Americans in the sport of sailing.
Lawson serves as chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for U.S. Sailing.
Requests for confirmation about the capsized boat sighting in the Pacific were not immediately returned by the Mexican Navy.
