Decomposing corpse of British man trying to sail around the world found on his yacht
A British window cleaner who aspired to sail around the world alone was found dead after not been seen for more than a month.
South Shields man Mark Brennan decided to try and sail around the world on his 30ft Avrio vessel. Embarking on the trip of a lifetime, Brennan went missing around December. The vessel that Brennan was supposedly on was found near Jamaica in January, with a naked and decomposed corpse inside the vessel's hull. While the identification process is ongoing, the corpse is assumed to be that of the missing man.
A window cleaner by profession, Brennan set sail as an inexperienced sailor from the United Kingdom. He successfully sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to reach the Caribbean. Brennan was reportedly last seen setting sail from Grenada on December 6. Since he set sail from Grenada, he started having trouble with his vessel.
According to other sailors, Brennan had already lost the yacht's dinghy during the trans-Atlantic leg of his journey. His vessel reportedly had some fuel problems as well. The man was under-equipped as well. Brennan did not have a radio or a phone to be able to send out a Mayday call. In December, Brennan's family reported him missing.
The Mirror reported that the yacht was seen floating 150 miles north-east of Aruba. Three sightings were reported by a search and rescue plane from Curacao between December 19 and 21. The crew claimed that the sails were rolled up and there was no sign of any occupants. The US Coast Guard in San Juan, Puerto Rico was alerted about the location of the seemingly deserted vessel.
The US Coast Guard spotted the vessel north-west of Ocho Rios and alerted the Jamaican Defence Force Coast Guard. The Jamaicans found Brennan's decomposing naked body on board the vessel on January 27. They towed the vessel to Port Antonio, Jamaica. The body was sent for a post mortem.
While the post mortem report can later confirm the identity of the dead body, it is assumed that it belongs to the missing man. Jamaican police are investigating the cause of death. Foul play has not been ruled out.
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