Murrysville native among American sailors missing off coast of Mexico
MURRYSVILLE, Pa. (KDKA) - The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for three people missing on a boat off the west coast, and one of the sailors is from the Pittsburgh area.
Her mother is hoping for the best as the search continues.
Ellen Argall is living through what no parent should. Her daughter, Kerry O'Brien, is missing, along with Kerry's husband, Frank, a third sailor, Bill Gross, and their boat Ocean Bound.
"It's agony. Pure agony. I'm trying to hold myself together," Kerry's mother, Ellen Argall, said.
Kerry is a Murrysville native and graduated from Franklin Regional High School in 1989. She quickly took the water and swam in high school.
Kerry started boating after meeting her husband. The couple currently lives in Alaska.
"She's always loved the water. As a child, she had a waterbed. She was on the two swim teams."
According to Argall, the three left Mexico on April 4, 2023, and were headed to San Diego.
On April 6, the Coast Guard said they made a couple of calls to docks in Cabo San Lucas. That was the last communication anyone had with the crew.
"I just keep hoping and praying that I'll hear some good news. I want good news, not bad news," Argall added.
After no one heard from them by last weekend, that's when the Coast Guard got involved. The sailing community has hundreds of boats out looking for the experienced crew.
The Coast Guard said conditions were less than ideal for this trip.
"It's a long trip, even in good conditions, from Mazatlan to Cabo; that's two days and certainly on to San Diego, which was their eventual destination," said Commander Greg Higgins of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Kerry has been sailing for about 20 years, so, her mother is confident she is still safe. But she wants closure to know that her daughter has been found.
The last they saw each other in person was in 2021 when they spent a few months together in Chicago, where Argall currently lives.
"It was the most special time in my life, and I miss her so much," Argall said.
If you have any information about the crew's whereabouts, call the U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue Coordination Center at (510) 437-3701.
