(CNN) The US Coast Guard has suspended its search for three missing Americans who were last heard from on April 4 near Mazatlán, Mexico, according to a Coast Guard news release.
The search was suspended “pending further developments” after Mexican Navy and US Coast Guard responders “conducted 281 cumulative search hours covering approximately 200,057 square nautical miles” with no sign of the missing vessel or passengers, the release said.
Two men and a woman aboard the ship “Ocean Bound” reportedly left Mazatlán on April 4 bound for San Diego with plans to stop in Cabo San Lucas, but ultimately did not report or arrive there, the release said .
Kerry O’Brien, Frank O’Brien and William Gross were all “experienced sailors,” according to an earlier joint statement from their families.
“A complete search was conducted by our international search and rescue partner, Mexico, with the US Coast Guard and Canada providing additional search assets,” said Commander Gregory Higgins, command center chief of Coast Guard District 11. Unfortunately, we have found no evidence of the whereabouts of the three Americans or what may have happened. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of William Gross, Kerry O’Brien and Frank O’ Brian.”
The family has asked for privacy at this time, the release said.
Higgins previously told CNN that the weather wasn’t great when the trio started.
“When they started their voyage we knew that the conditions were not good for that kind of voyage, although certainly, there were ships sailing there during that time of their voyage,” Higgins told the CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield on Saturday.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the gender of one of the three missing American sailors. They are two boys and one girl.
