British woman and husband found dead after trying to cross Atlantic | World | News

A couple who embarked on a sailing trip across the Atlantic have been found dead on a life raft that washed up in Canada six weeks after they were last seen.

Briton Sarah Packwood and her Canadian husband Brett Clibbery are believed to have abandoned their yacht and died before the raft appeared on Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada.

The couple were reported missing on June 18 after sailing from Nova Scotia in their 42ft eco-friendly yacht, Theros, the week before, according to the BBC.

They were journeying to the Azores some 2,000 miles away on a trip expected to take 21 days. Their bodies were found on July 12.

Mr Cribbery’s son, James, confirmed in a post on Facebook that the pair had died, saying the last few days had been “very hard”.

He wrote: “The past few days have been very hard. My father James Brett Clibbery and his wife, Sarah Justine Packwood, have regrettably passed away”.

In words posted on July 13, James said an investigation was being launched and DNA testing had yet to provide confirmation but it was “hard to remain hopeful”.

He added: “So far this has made it to several news outlets around the country, and I have only just spoken to the coroner today. I am so very sorry to the people who were friends of them.

“They were amazing people and there isn’t anything that will fill the hole that has been left by their, so far unexplained, passing.

“Living will not 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. You will be forever missed”.

Before setting sail, the couple explained on their YouTube channel, Theros Adventures, how their trip, which was dubbed the Green Odyssey, relied on sails, solar panels, batteries and an electric engine.

In the clip posted on April 12 Mr Clibbery said: “We’re doing everything we can to show that you can travel without burning fossil fuels.” To which Ms Packwood added: “It’s probably the biggest adventure of our lives so far.”

The couple are reported to have met in London in 2015, when Ms Packwood was getting ready to donate a kidney to her sister and Mr Cribbery was visiting London.

They married in Canada aboard their yacht a year later, before re-affirming their vows in a ceremony at Stonehenge in 2017, according to Ms Packwood’s blog cited by the BBC.

The pair wrote on Facebook in what would become their last post: “Captain Brett and First Mate Sarah set sail on the 2nd leg of The Green Odyssey on board Theros – GibSea 42 foot sailboat. Powered by the wind and sun. Heading east to the Azores”.

An anonymous source told Canadian news website, Saltwire, the yacht’s crew was either unable to avoid collision or could have been below deck with Theros on automatic pilot. However, the source cautioned they couldn’t be sure.

According to the same publication, one theory being explored is that Theros was hit by a passing cargo ship which failed to spot the collision.