Dad Overboard, Son Silent

The harrowing journey began last weekend
as a simple errand, a father and son sailing their 41-foot ketch to a
New Hampshire port to moor it for the winter.
 
After six days at sea the boat turned up yesterday wildly off course, 133
miles east of Provincetown. Rescuers, alerted by two bright flares shot
into the sky, found just one passenger aboard the Naobi, a weary 20-year-old
Asher Woods, who apparently had been adrift alone amid high winds and white-capped
waves.

According to authorities, Woods said his father — Stephen, 55, a New Hampshire
lawyer — fell overboard without a life jacket Saturday near Boothbay Harbor,

As Coast Guard planes and boats searched for the Naobi,
no radio calls for help or cellphone calls came from the sailboat, nor
were the rescuers able to contact the boat, which was outfitted with
modern communications equipment, said Coast Guard officials.

”There’s still an awful lot of blanks to fill," said Pinneo. ”Hopefully
we’ll soon be able to provide that."

The details of Asher Woods’s days at sea remained a
mystery yesterday. He refused interview requests.

The Coast Guard did not search for Stephen Woods yesterday.
”With these water temperatures, survivability is about 32 hours," said
Coast Guard Petty Officer Kelly Newlin. ”He’s now been in the water
96 hours, without a personal flotation device on. . . . There is no search
on."

There’s more to this story than meets the eye. Appearantly
the father was a very careful and experienced sailor. The weather was
fine. What happened to the radio? Distress beacon? Why did he wait six
days to shoot off a flare? What was he doing during those six days? Where
is Greta when we need her?

from the Boston Globe