Sailing Savoir Faire: Lafayette Press Conference a Big Success, Nina Family Asks For Help

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Lafayette Press Conference a Big Success, Nina Family Asks For Help

INDEX

Matthew Wootton

Over 100 people jammed a large bank building in Lafayette Louisiana asking people to stand up for the seven sailors stranded aboard the Nina, a 1928 schooner lost in the Tasman Sea. RCC-NZ suspended the search for the sailors, called the Nina 7, on July 5th, 2013.

On June 4th, 1989, 4 sailors capsized off of the coast of New Zealand. The search was suspended and a eulogy was held for one of the sailors, John Glennie. John and three of his crew mates washed up on a New Zealand beach 118 days later.

After new Zealand suspended the search, Ricky Wright, father of Danielle Wright, called Texas Equusearch (TES) and asked them to advise the families. TES has found over 300 people law enforcement was unable to find. They have performed marine searches for missing fishermen and swimmers. They found a Navy T-34 in 90 minutes which went down off of the coast of Texas near Matagorda Island. The U.S. Navy spent 22 days searching for the plane and it's pilots without success.

When TES approached the U.S. Coast Guard for help running drift models using data provided by the RCC-NZ, TES was told the matter was in the hands of the U.S. State Department. The State Department has been slow or non-communicative with TES. The State Department sided with RCC-NZ in concluding the Nina has sunk, since RCC-NZ could not find the Nina.

The families are seeking three things:

First, they need donations to continue the private search for the Nina because neither the U.S. nor New Zealand is searching for the yacht;

Second, they ask all Americans to call the U.S. Department of State and ask them to support TES in the search for the Nina 7. The phone number is (202)-647-4000;

Third, the families ask people to tune into the Tomnod site which has satellite imagery of the area where the Nina is suspected to be. Tomnod is a crowd sourcing site in which multiple people select the most likely position of the yacht;

Another press conference is scheduled for 11:00, August 23rd, 2013 in Houston, Texas. John Glennie, the captain of the Rose Noelle and Steve Callahan will be making an appearance. Both sailors have been lost at sea and survived long periods. A fundraiser is scheduled for Friday, August 24th. John Glennie will be talking about how he survived on the Rose Noelle for 118 days. WATCH FOR DETAILS!

Please help us get the word out about the news in the search for the Nina 7 by re posting this page on other sites! Thanks!

Mail checks to:

Texas EquuSearch SV Nina Search Fund
P.O. Box 395
Dickinson, Texas 77539
Office: (281) 309-9500
Fax: (281) 534-6719
Toll Free: (877) 270-9500

Or use PayPal or Credit Card

Or, mail checks directly to:
Texas EquuSearch SV Nina Search Fund
c/o Amegy Bank 215 FM 517 Road West
Dickinson, TX 77539
Attention: Ms. Alicia White
(281) 337-9390