Seventh Coast Guard Public Affairs Office (305) 536-5641

November 5, 1998
Seventh Coast Guard District

Coast Guard suspends search for Fantome

The Coast Guard suspended its search for the sailing vessel Fantome and its crew of 31 today after a massive search
which covered over 145,000 square miles.

Coast Guard aircraft from Air Stations Clearwater, Fla., and Miami began the search for the Windjammer Barefoot
Cruise's Fantome and its crew Thursday afternoon. Communications were lost with the 282-foot sailing schooner
October 27, after the crew reported experiencing hurricane conditions.

Search crews found the first piece of debris from the Fantome Sunday. A life jacket with Fantome stenciled on the
back was found washed ashore on Guanaja Island. A life raft and several more lifejackets were found Monday. A
Coast Guard search plane located a woman in the water Tuesday afternoon, clinging to a piece of wood. The woman
was at first thought to be from the Fantome, but was later identified as a Honduran national who had been swept out
to sea.

Coast Guard aircraft and the HMS Sheffield searched an area the size of the state of Montana looking for any
survivors from the four-masted sailing ship. During the seven day search all that was found was two life rafts, nine
lifejackets and other associated with the Fantome.