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Coast Guard and Mexican Navy searching for 3 Americans who went missing while sailing from Mazatlan to San Diego

U.S. Coast Guards are searching for three American citizens sailing from Mexico to San Diego who has been missing for several days.

SAN DIEGO — U.S. Coast Guards are assisting the Mexican Navy in a search for three American citizens sailing from Mexico to San Diego who have been missing for over a week.

The search effort is focused on a 2,500 square mile area near the Baja peninsula. The Coast Guard says the search is difficult because they do not have any sort of mayday signal or any signal to start the search at or from.

The Coast Guard has 2 cutters and a wing aircraft assisting in the search.

Kerry O'Brien, Frank O'Brien, and William Gross left Mazatlán, Mexico, on April 4 on the sailing vessel Ocean Bound, a 44-foot La Fitte. 

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the three planned to stop in Cabo San Lucas on April 6 en route to San Diego.

Ellen Argyle, is the mother of Kerry O’Brien, she says Kerry has always been around water, adding that she took to sailing after meeting her husband. 

"Well, she's always loved the water. as a child, she had a water bed and she was on the swim. two swim teams," said Argyle.

The U.S. Coast Guard says conditions were not optimal for the type of trip they were on when they began their voyage. although there were sailing vessels out there during that time. 

“It's a long trip even in good conditions from Massillon to Cabo. That's two days and certainly on to San Diego, which was their eventual destination,” said a spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard. 

Kerry has been sailing for about 20 years, so her mother is confident she is still safe, but she wants closure to know that her daughter has been found. 

"They just keep hoping, hoping and praying that I'll hear some good news. I want good news. not bad news.

The families of the three sailors have been pushing the sailing community in Southern California to join the search. They say hundreds of boats have been helping look for the experienced crew.

The Mexican Navy is leading the search and rescue efforts because the three sailors were last heard from while in Mexican waters, the U.S. Coast Guard will continue to assist them.

 Coast Guard officials said the trio was planning to obtain provisions during the stop in Cabo San Lucas, but there is no record that they ever arrived.

Mexican Navy officials joined the Coast Guard in searching for the group. 

The search has included various marinas throughout Baja, California.

Anyone with information about the trio was asked to contact the Coast Guard at 510-437-3701.

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