Hope We
have been asked to run this press release and of course we obliged.
Here's hoping for the best...
The families continue to remain positive that their loved ones will be found. There has still been no evidence to suggest that the vessel has been lost and because of this fact, they continue to urge and appeal to the US and Canadian authorities to continue to do as much as they can and reconsider the suspension of the rescue operation. The last known position of the Free Spirit was 41’ 39’125 N 063’ 44’ 904W. This position has been thoroughly searched, however due to the severe weather conditions of Hurricane Alberta it would be unlikely that the Free Spirit would have remained in this area. The families would like to appeal to any vessels in this surrounding area to be on the look out for any information or evidence that could aid the successful rescue of the crew and report this immediately to the authorities. The families of the crew hope that the media will show due compassion and respect to the crew and their families and help our appeal for further assistance in this matter. Background Information On the 15th June sailing vessel “Free Spirit” was hit by the tail end of Hurricane Alberta which consisted of 115mph winds and 10 metre tall waves. At 1738 BST a distress call was made by skipper Jacek Bielecki to his stepdaughter in Connecticut. Since this time there has been no further communication with “Free Spirit”. At roughly the same time the U.S Coast Guard received a signal from “Free Spirit’s” Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) and prepared to launch a rescue operation. Unfortunately, due to the severe weather conditions the aircraft and surface vessels launched were unable to enter the search zone until 7 hours later. There were four crew members on board “Free Spirit”. Jacek Bielecki, 56, his son Jack Bielecki, 19, a family friend Richard White, 34 and U.S. Citizen and friend of Jack, Molly Finn, 19. The intended two-year circumnavigation was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime. The crew had spent the last 9 months preparing the boat for the voyage in Newport, Rhode Island. This first leg of the journey was to the Mediterranean. The U.S Coast Guard and Canadian coastguard yesterday mounted one of the largest Search and Rescue operations of the past 15 years. Unfortunately, they have so far been unsuccessful in their search and have only found debris which can not be conclusively linked to “Free Spirit”. The coast Guard had the optimum navigational information as to the yacht’s last whereabouts as the storm hit but as time passed the search area expanded exponentially. Polly Bielecka, daughter of Jacek and sister of Jack, stated: “The U.S and Canadian Coast Guard have made a tremendous effort in this rescue mission. Their response and communication has been utterly exceptional and we greatly appreciate their efforts thus far. However we would urge everyone not to give up yet. My brother and father are determined survivors as are Molly and Richard. All crew aboard are experienced and able sailors and would have been prepared to execute the right safety procedures even in such severe conditions. We owe it to them to keep looking.” The British Consul General in Boston has spoken to the Admiral of the U.S Coast Guard in charge of the operation and support the families’ request.For further information please contact: US Coast
Guard Press Office: PAC Scott Carr 06/20/06 |
