Claims of missing boat with Seychellois crew not confirmed, says minister |25 May 2012

It has been alleged that a catamaran with a Seychellois crew has gone missing, raising fears of another possible pirate attack.

A communiqué from Minister Morgan’s office said yesterday that an investigation is however under way to try and locate the whereabouts of the catamaran type boat which has not been seen at its usually moored position on Praslin.

According to the information gathered, the boat named Sadie was last seen there on May 11.
SADIE is owned by a French national who is currently out of the country and his boat was under the responsibility of a Praslinois skipper, Roddy Lesperance.

Until yesterday morning, no one had formally reported any family members missing on Praslin. It was a relative of Roddy Lesperance who came to Baie Ste Anne police station to seek information and clarification about the missing boat Sadie.

The Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration and the Seychelles Ports Authority have reported that the catamaran Sadie had not notified or even applied for the formal request to go out at sea, a procedure which all boat owners must go through with the Ports Authority.
 This has made it very difficult to ascertain its whereabouts.

Concerned about the unreported missing boat Sadie with Seychellois onboard, the minister has requested the Seychelles Coast Guard, with the support of the Air Force, to deploy and try to locate the whereabouts of the boat. Thus far, no sightings of the boat have been made.

Messages have also been passed on to other vessels to inform the authorities if ever catamaran Sadie is sighted. In the meantime, the search and investigation is continuing.