Boaters Encouraged to Assist in Rescue

The United States Coast Guard is searching for two 65-year-olds who are reported overdue after failing to return from a sailing trip to the Azores, Portugal. Missing are Virginia Beach natives Yanni Nikopoulos and Dale Jones.

Nikopoulos and Jones departed from Hampton, VA, on June 8 for the Azores on their 40’ (12.19 m) Endeavor, Kyklades. However, they contacted Jones’ daughter on June 13 via an Iridium phone reporting bad weather, a lost sail and mast. They said they were heading back to Hampton.

Casting a Wide Net

The missing boaters were approximately 460 miles east of Virginia Beach at the time of the call and no further communications have been received. Jones’ daughter contacted the Coast Guard on June 17 to express her concern about not hearing from her mother.

“In situations like this, where there are so many unknowns, our coordination efforts need to cast a wide and international net,” said Coast Guard Chief Brian Gainey. “We’re tracking cellphone and radio pings as we work with our counterparts in Bermuda to accurately determine the most intelligent search area for our aircrews. It’s a lot of detective work, but it’s all in service to finding these two individuals and bringing them home to their families.”

Nikopoulos and Jones were expected to return to Virginia around June 20, though no specific date had been set. While the Kyklades has a life raft, it did not have a registered EPIRB. Authorities encourage boaters off the coast of the Mid-Atlantic and north of Bermuda to keep an eye out for signs of the missing sailboat.