By JADE RUSSEL

Tribune staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force’s search for 56-year-old sailor Miguel Campoy is active but may soon shift to a recovery operation, it was revealed yesterday, after his vessel’s dinghy was found adrift and the United States Coast Guard suspended its effort in line with protocol.

Mr Campoy, a dual Spanish-United States national, left South Abaco at 10.15am on September 6, bound for New Providence aboard Hella, a 44-foot blue-hulled sailboat (registration FL0011MU). By about 12.30pm, he had sent his family a photo from the Avionics app showing his planned route and sailing data, saying he had already been at sea for six hours and expected another eight to ten hours to reach New Providence. He stopped responding later that day.

Relatives reported him missing on September 7, notifying the Spanish Consulate in Jamaica, the US Coast Guard and the RBDF. Officials later told the family the vessel’s support dinghy was recovered with no one on board. While the US Coast Guard has stood down its search, the RBDF says its operation continues but could transition to recovery given the time elapsed and the slim chances of survival at sea.

Uncertainty has driven the family to mount their own effort, chartering private aircraft daily to scour likely routes. They said Mr Campoy’s phone was turned over to the RBDF, though it is unclear whether triangulation attempts have produced useful data.

Mr Campoy’s sister, Miriam Campoy, said the disappearance is out of character, describing him as a qualified yacht captain, expert sailor and swimmer who never went a day without contacting his family. She said he was travelling to New Providence to collect two friends visiting from Spain for a planned cruise through the Exumas. He is married and has no children.