The Mexican Navy has stopped its search for missing Baltimore sailor Donald Lawson after he went missing hundreds of miles off the country’s Pacific Coast, his wife Jacqueline Lawson announced.
In a statement, Jacqueline Lawson said representatives of the Mexican Navy and the Mexican Navy Rescue Coordination Center told her during a meeting last week in Acapulco, Mexico, that they could not locate her husband.
“During their lengthy informational briefings with me, I had the opportunity to review written reports describing their vigorous efforts to locate Donald. I also viewed numerous photos, both from the surface and underwater, of our de-masted and capsized SV/DEFIANT that were taken by MRCC divers,” Jacqueline Lawson wrote in an emailed statement.
The Mexican Navy Rescue Coordination Center said the search for Donald Lawson is no longer in “active” status, but officials will remain “on alert” for any signs of Donald Lawson or his life raft, according to the statement.
About three ago weeks, Mexican authorities found Lawson’s boat, a 60-foot trimaran racing yacht called Defiant. However, Lawson and his life raft were missing.
“It was clear to me that the Mexican Navy and MRCC truly went above and beyond in their efforts to find my husband Donald and DEFIANT’S missing life raft,” Jacqueline Lawson said. “I am eternally grateful for their tremendous hard work and dedication as their search continued for well over a week.”
She added that she had not given up, and neither have the Mexican authorities.
Donald Lawson was last heard from on July 13, when the Defiant was detected 285 miles off Acapulco. He had been at sea eight days, having left Acapulco July 5. No distress call was received.
The Baltimore native acquired the Defiant with the goal of using it to set a speed record for sailing around the world solo.
