By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Deputy Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE a nightmarish past two and a half weeks, Brandon Simmons said the search for his mother and her husband – Forrest and Donna Sanco – is still alive as he encouraged fishermen and boaters at sea to keep an eye out for anything that could lead to the safe return of the American couple.

It’s been 20 days now since the Sancos were last heard from and Mr Simmons told The Tribune on Friday the entire ordeal has been “surreal like a bad dream”.

Donna – a nurse by profession is originally from Tahlequah, Oklahoma. She recently relocated to Fort Worth, Texas where Forrest, an aeronautical engineer military contractor, lives.

He was also described as “very intelligent” when it comes to aviation, heightening relatives beliefs they are still alive and could be stranded on a Bahamian cay.

“We are trying to stay hopeful so any information that we get is helpful,” Mr Simmons said in an interview. He and his wife Erin flew into New Providence on Thursday to be closer to where the search for the couple continues.

He also said: “We understand that everyone is stretched thin with all the hurricane relief, but any local fisherman that’s out that way just kinda keep a look out.

“Any little help is valuable for us”.

The pair lost contact and haven’t been heard from since September 26.

On that day Mr Sanco officially closed his flight plan at 4.58pm on September 26, signalling to air traffic controllers that he was nearing his destination.

However, according to his family members and caretakers in Rum Cay, the pair never arrived.

On Friday it was reported that the hopes of finding the Sancos appeared to be dashed after an aircraft wheel was recovered in the sea off Eleuthera.

And a pilot who has been engaged in the search for the couple told The Tribune he was “99 per cent” certain the wheel is off the Cessna aircraft they were flying when the couple vanished nearly three weeks ago.

Last night, close friend of the couple Andrew Wilkinson revealed he had been in contact with a mechanic in Texas who had done some work on Forrest Sanco’s plane before it took off for the Bahamas.

Significantly the mechanic, Kevin Logue said he had put air in the plane’s tyres and that he remembered one tyre had a yellow cap on its air valve.

The wheel recovered from the ocean off Eleuthera had a yellow cap, said Mr Wilkinson.

 “The caps on the valve are black, one was yellow. This combined with the fact it’s a 6.00-6 model... it has to be his. So sadly this is confirmation,” he added.

On Thursday Royal Bahamas Defence Force press liaison Desi Corneile told The Tribune the police force had the lead on the investigation because the couple were last seen on land. However, she noted that all active RBDF planes and vessels have been put on alert concerning the missing couple.