Baltimore sailor’s capsized trimaran located in Pacific
US Coast Guard to aid in search for Donald Lawson
Mexican authorities have located Baltimore sailor Donald Lawson’s capsized trimaran in the Pacific Ocean 300 miles south-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, Lawson’s wife, Jacqueline, said in a statement Wednesday.
The search for the sailor — which has been ongoing for several days — continues, however. Lawson told The Baltimore Sun in 2022 that his trimaran, a speedy 60-foot sailboat named Defiant, was equipped with two life rafts.
For the first time since Mexican authorities began the search for Lawson over the weekend, the U.S. Coast Guard is deploying an asset. Active, a 210-foot cutter, has been dispatched to aid with efforts to locate Lawson, who has not been heard from since July 12.
According to online marine tracking data, the Coast Guard’s cutter (a fast patrol boat) was stationed near San Diego last week.
Because Mexico is leading the search, the Coast Guard had not previously contributed assets, but it offered to help Wednesday, Coast Guard spokesperson Hunter Schnabel said.
Mexican authorities have not responded to multiple requests from the Sun for comment.
Lawson set off July 5 from Acapulco, Mexico, to sail via the Panama Canal to Baltimore, where he planned to prepare for a solo circumnavigation attempt this fall. A pioneering Black sailor who grew up in Baltimore and attended Woodlawn High and Morgan State, Lawson previously said that he aspired to sail his vessel around the world faster than anyone else has.
The current American record for a solo, nonstop trip around the world in a boat no
longer than 60 feet is 107 days.
The world record is 74 days. Lawson hoped to do it in less than 70.
However, Lawson communicated to his wife July 9 that he had experienced problems with his boat’s hydraulic rigging and was without engine power; he lost his wind generator due to a storm on July 12, his wife said.
On Tuesday Jacqueline said in a statement: “We are not giving up hope and we are remaining hopeful of his return.”
Wednesday’s update noted the U.S. Coast
Guard informed Jacqueline that the Mexican navy had located the capsized sailboat, which Jacqueline — who had sailed extensively with Donald on the sailboat — identified as Defiant.
“No further information is available at this time,” the statement from Jacqueline said. “Updates will follow as soon as the information becomes available.”
In addition to the two life rafts, Lawson previously said that his sailboat had other emergency equipment, including a position beacon, radios and a survival suit, which he noted can keep its wearer warm and dry.