Heartbreaking tributes have been paid to an “incredible couple” who were found dead in a lifeboat destroyed while trying to sail across the Atlantic.
Sarah Packwood, 54, from Warwick, and Brett Clibbery, 70, were heading to the Azores on a wind and solar powered ship called “Theros” when they went missing almost a month ago.
8
8
8
The couple was reported missing a week after leaving Nova Scotia, Canada, on June 11 in their 42-foot sailboat.
The two bodies were found in a three-metre lifeboat after it washed ashore on Sable Island – 290 kilometers off the coast of Nova Scotia – last week.
It’s still unclear how the couple got into trouble, but Halifax police have launched an investigation into their deaths.
It is understood that Brett carried a Garmin GPS device that issued a final signal about 40 miles southwest of Sable Island on June 13.
Their yacht, Theros, has not yet been recovered.
Brett’s son James posted a tribute on Facebook that said: “The last few days have been very difficult.
“My father, James Brett Clibbery, and his wife, Sarah Justine Packwood, have sadly passed away.
“There is still an investigation, as well as a DNA test to confirm, but with all the news, it is difficult to maintain hope.
“They were incredible people and there is nothing that can fill the void left by their, until now, inexplicable passing.
“Life won’t be the same without your wisdom, and your wife was quickly becoming a beacon of knowledge and kindness.
“I miss your smiles. I miss your voices. We will miss you forever.”
Paying a moving tribute on Facebook, a friend wrote: “This is a terrible situation and I know it will always be in my thoughts.
While another user said: “I loved your dad and Sarah so much and my heart is hurting for you and your family.”
A third friend shared: “Your father was a great man. My sincere condolences”.
How the couple’s planned trip turned into tragedy
June 11th – Sarah and Brett leave Halifax, Nova Scotia on their sailboat Theros
June 18 – The couple is declared missing and a search begins
July 10 – Their two bodies are found in a lifeboat on Sable Island
July 13 – Brett’s son James posts tribute on social media
‘AMAZING COUPLE’
Brett, a Canadian, and Sarah met at a bus stop in London in 2015, before getting married on the yacht a year later.
They also had a Celtic wedding ceremony at Stonehenge and later moved to Canada, where they purchased land on Salt Spring Island, near Vancouver.
Poet, musician and reiki healer Sarah was a “gifted sailor” studying at university in England.
In a farewell video message before the couple’s departure, Sarah said: “Captain Brett and First Mate Sarah set sail on the second leg of the Green Odyssey aboard the 42ft sailboat Theros – GibSea.
“Driven by the wind and the sun. Heading east, towards the Azores. It’s probably the biggest adventure of our lives so far.”
The pair had previously sailed 5,000 miles together along the Pacific coasts of Canada, the US and South America.
Sarah, who has blogged about her travels, wrote: “We spent a year together aboard the Theros at sea, sailing the first leg of our staged round-the-world voyage from Salt Spring Island in British Columbia to Dartmouth in Nova Scotia. , via Central America, the Panama Canal and across the Western Caribbean.”
The pair also maintained a YouTube channel to keep family and friends updated about their travels.
One theory suggests the Theros was struck by a larger boat after leaving Halifax.
“Although they do not have conclusive evidence, (investigators) suspect that the sailboat whose crew washed up dead off Sable Island was struck by a bulk carrier (which was not loaded), probably just a few days after leaving Halifax,” a source told the news outlet. Canadian. site Salted Wire.
8
8
8
8
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25565417/Google_Photos_Collections_hed.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1 "Google Photos library is dead – say hello to collections")
