BajaNomad - Help needed at Punta Cono Photos added

Help needed at Punta Cono Photos added

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larryC - 8-8-2012 at 07:55 AM

I am camped on the beach at El Cardon about 22 miles north of Santa Rosalilita and I rode my quad up to Punta Cono to do a little fishing and I came accross a 30' trimaran sail boat on the beach with a family of 5 with all their stuff out of the boat and on the rocks and beach around the boat. They have been there for 2 weeks. Mario Mcleach has been up there to try to help but not much can be done. They need some dry goods like frour, rice, beans fresh water, vegetables, carrots apples oranges etc. They have no refrigeration so only items that will hold up without refrigeration. If anyone is coming this way in the next couple of weeks or so.
I set up a Starband unit on the beach here so that is how I am able to get on line. I am going back up there this morn to take some supplies that we can spare. I'll take some pictures and try to post them but I am having trouble getting them off my camera and onto this computer. They are on the beach right at Punta Cono where the beach ends and the rocks start.
Larry

Here they are high and dry.

This is their camp on the beach

Their stuff on the rocks

On the brighter side, some of the Halibut we caught

[Edited on 8-14-2012 by larryC]

[Edited on 8-14-2012 by larryC]

shari - 8-8-2012 at 08:03 AM

Larry...what are they waiting for? Is someone coming down for them & their stuff? What is their plan? Is there anything else we can help with like contacting someone for them?

BajaBlanca - 8-8-2012 at 08:08 AM

Are they going to try and get the boat back into the water ? Do they need someone to call for help in the States ? Giving food/water is for now but what do they really need to solve their dilemna ?

they need that SPOT device that Mike Younghusband had which alerts as to emergency !

surfer jim - 8-8-2012 at 08:25 AM

Haven't there been any army patrols to flag down for help?

Is boat stuck or damaged?

What about help from Santa R.?

capt. mike - 8-8-2012 at 08:30 AM

using ePERB??

Punta Cono on AAA map

David K - 8-8-2012 at 09:38 AM

These maps are from the Mike Younghusband and Don Kay walk down Baja, but show a close up of where Punta Cono is, in relation to Hwy. 1 in central Baja.

Punta Cono South:

Punta Cono North:

DavidE - 8-8-2012 at 10:10 AM

LARRY PLEASE GET VESSEL AND FAMILY NAME. PHOTOS NOT IMPORTANT

DavidE - 8-8-2012 at 02:02 PM

Rice? Beans? Is this a Mexican rig? The reason I ask is that if it is a foreign flag sail boat calling the U.S. Coast Guard office in San Diego would lead to them telephoning the Mexican Armada, the navy in Ensenada. It may be the very fastest way of getting things done. I wish I had read a description of the craft, the nationality of the marooned, etc. Oh well, at least they are being helped.

capt. mike - 8-8-2012 at 03:56 PM

don't they have proper radios?? are they not prepared to be cruising? are they not under rescue by now???
this seems weird...

I agree with you mike..

captkw - 8-8-2012 at 04:10 PM

that said ..we will just have to wait for more news..In my small mind if there kids envoled you at a min. need a EPRIB and SSB would be an asset..but I won't armchair!! hopefully soon more news....(good)...K & T :cool:

[Edited on 8-9-2012 by captkw]

larryC - 8-8-2012 at 05:41 PM

Hi all, I'll try to ans all the questions, but my info is limited. Their names are William and Layla, they didn't give me last names. They are from the Los Angeles area and were sailing at night and tried to pull into the lee of Cono to anchor and spend the night but grounded and put a crack in the main hull. They beached the boat and unloaded all their stuff on the beach. They were there a week before some one saw them. They don't want to leave the boat for fear that it will be stripped. They don't have a house in the US, so the boat is all they have. It appears to be a fairly low budget operation. William has hopes of repairing the boat and sailing some where fro repairs. The boat needs to be jacked up a couple of feet to gain access to the bottom of the hull so that some plywood and caulking can be screwed on and seal the hole. I am not confident that this is possible where they are now. When we found them they were in need of water and food and determined to stay with the boat so that is why I asked if anyone else coming this way might be able to bring something. I asked if they wanted me to contact any one for them and William gave me his brothers email address, although the brother is in Germany so help from him is unlikely. They don't need rescuing right now they just might need some supplies from someone coming to this area. They have set up camp on the beach, there were no injuries so they are fine for now.
I didn't see a name on the vessel but the # is CF 7048 FH. They are US citizens, when the vessel flooded they lost their electrical so radios are useless.
On the lighter side the Halibut fishing was excellent up there so we will be going back in the morn and I will try to get more info.
Larry

My first post and it has to be this one,,,ahhh well....

Nemo55 - 8-8-2012 at 06:50 PM

I have past along this information to my cohorts on Cruisers Forum it is possible that someone may be able to ride to the rescue.
Keep up the great work guy's..

surfer jim - 8-8-2012 at 07:20 PM

Wouldn't there be someone in Santa R. who could do repairs? Those panga guys should be able to patch this.

dtbushpilot - 8-8-2012 at 09:48 PM

I really like the way DK posted maps from Mike Younghusbands trip to avoid the ridicule and scorn from the surfers for posting a map of the "secret coast". Way to go DK, you're learning :lol:

SORRY THERE IS NO SECRETS OR LOST COAST

captkw - 8-8-2012 at 10:29 PM

TRI

captkw - 8-8-2012 at 10:33 PM

BET ITS A BROWNING OR PIVER TRI !! LATE 60'S TO 70'S TRI MADE OF PLYWOOD OVER LAID WITH MATTED FIBER GLASS..NOT GOOD IN THE LONG RUN !! K&T :cool:

David K - 8-8-2012 at 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dtbushpilot
I really like the way DK posted maps from Mike Younghusbands trip to avoid the ridicule and scorn from the surfers for posting a map of the "secret coast". Way to go DK, you're learning :lol:

Hey, who said anything about that being a surfing area??? Shame on YOU, DT! :lol:

SSHHH !! NOAA HASNT SEEN THIS !! LOL

captkw - 8-8-2012 at 10:59 PM

dtbushpilot - 8-9-2012 at 06:23 AM

I said "secret coast" DK, not surfing area.....now you've done it, we are probably both in trouble now..... :rolleyes:

desertcpl - 8-9-2012 at 07:34 AM

Larry

can you take some pics of Layla for us

surfer jim - 8-9-2012 at 07:57 AM

......she is leaking from the bottom and needs to be patched up....still want that photo? :rolleyes:

desertcpl - 8-9-2012 at 08:07 AM

:no:

larryC - 8-9-2012 at 05:50 PM

She is actually quite attractive, Layla not the boat. As I said it is a pretty low budget operation. The Mexican fish camps are not occupied right but will be in another month or so. That is a long time to go with out fruits and vegetables so that is why I put the word out to anyone who might be coming to this secret place. Once the Mex fishermen show up I suspect they will get some help in refloating the boat, until then fish and clams will get old.
Larry

David K - 8-9-2012 at 05:54 PM

Kind of like Gilligan's Island...

woody with a view - 8-9-2012 at 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by larryC
Once the Mex fishermen show up I suspect they will get some help in refloating the boat, until then fish and clams will get old.
Larry

and she might end up sinking into the sand over the next month(s) tidal surges. if Sr Mcleash is aware of the situation then the tortilla telegraph has been activated and every local in the area knows.

it might come down to their ability to entice some of the locals to give up their income from fishing (it is the season now!) to come and assist.....

surfer jim - 8-9-2012 at 07:13 PM

...as a matter of fact go ahead and post a photo... :lol:

DavidE - 8-10-2012 at 01:14 PM

http://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/lectronicday.lasso?date=...

BajaBlanca - 8-10-2012 at 01:33 PM

terrible that they are on such a low budget and afraid for their boat. Here's hoping their gilligan island espisode ends fast.

mcfez - 8-10-2012 at 02:00 PM

Any idea just what size of the damaged area is? If it is not major area.....there are several ways to make temporary repairs if boat sits in the water of several feet.

http://tinyurl.com/d57jcpo

larryC - 8-11-2012 at 08:01 PM

I just got back to Bahia, left the west coast this morn. I'll be able to post some pics Monday or Tues when I get back to San Diego. The last time I saw William he was figuring out how to cast a lure we had given him and before we left that day he had already cought 2 Halibut. The fishing up there is as good as I have seen it in years, lots of 24" buts. Mario Mcleash does know about their plite, he arranged for a trailer to be taken up there and now they are going to try to jack the boat up and get it on the trailer so repairs can be started and then get it back in the water before the winter swells start. I didn't go aboard to see the damage, but William indicated that it is about a 2' section that is crushed in and leaking. Probably could be repaired with some plywood and some caulking.
Fresh water and food is their only need, other than that they are doing pretty well.
Larry

surfer jim - 8-11-2012 at 08:31 PM

How was the surf? :saint:

degoma - 8-11-2012 at 08:44 PM

Thanks for that report Larry. We are headed that way in the morning from Los Angeles. We'll bring what we can.

woody with a view - 8-11-2012 at 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by surfer jim
How was the surf? :saint:

-------------^-------^^------------

larryC - 8-12-2012 at 06:29 AM

Surf not too big, ridable but nothing to write home about. Lots of green algea in the water near shore, cleans up on the outside. Air temps were perfect mid 70's, a little cloud cover and patchy fog. Much nicer than BoLA, Here it was 93 at 10 last night, but almost no himidity, high 90's during the day.
Larry

Mateo-Feo - 8-13-2012 at 06:43 PM

I will be there in less than 2 weeks, keep us posted on whats happening. I can stop by costco or something and bring some food and water. And maybe a bottle of Jack for the dad. I'm sure he needs a drink by now.

larryC - 8-14-2012 at 10:03 AM

Just heard from Degoma, he delivered some stuff to the strandee's, maybe he will get back to us with an up date on what more is needed and if any progress is being made to refloat the boat. Just heard from the camp at El Cardon and a south wind is blowing today, not good since the beach they are on is south facing.
I added some fotos to the original post.
Larry

dtbushpilot - 8-14-2012 at 10:09 AM

Thanks for the visual of their situation larry, hope they can get it sorted out. Nice butts, did you catch them from the beach?

larryC - 8-14-2012 at 12:16 PM

All buts from the beach, right next to the boat. I figure in a week or 2 William will be giving fishing lessons to anyone that shows up.

Mateo-Feo - 8-14-2012 at 08:11 PM

Nice sized beach Hali's

Mateo-Feo - 8-14-2012 at 08:36 PM

Whatya using? Crocs? Plastics?

larryC - 8-14-2012 at 09:40 PM

I was using small to medium crocs with the red plastic thing on the hook

thomasdelsur - 8-14-2012 at 09:42 PM

nice catch!

woody with a view - 8-14-2012 at 09:47 PM

WOW Larry!

save some fish for the rest of us/them/china's..... :light:

larryC - 8-15-2012 at 08:34 AM

Not to worry Woody lots of fish left. There were 4 of us fishing and we gottem like that 4 days in a row. Best fishing I have ever seen there.

Mateo-Feo - 8-15-2012 at 09:28 PM

Those Baja Hali's love the crocs. Sweet

BajaBlanca - 8-16-2012 at 07:36 AM

what a sad situation for these folk. any idea where they are eventually headed to ? and yes, those are some very nice fish !

TRI

captkw - 8-16-2012 at 08:29 AM

THATS A PIVER OR A BROWNING..PLYWOOD WITH GLASS OVER LAID AND NOT A SOLID BOAT AND WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE ISSUES....SORRY BUT THE OCEAN DOES NOT HAVE ROOM FOR SUCH ----------- ITS A ROUGH LIFE ON THE OCEAN AND WITH KIDS YOU BETTER START WITH A SOLID BOAT AND SOME SEATIME..AND AS ALWAYS,, I HAVE NO CLUE!!! K&T :cool:

monoloco - 8-16-2012 at 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by captkw
THATS A PIVER OR A BROWNING..PLYWOOD WITH GLASS OVER LAID AND NOT A SOLID BOAT AND WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE ISSUES....SORRY BUT THE OCEAN DOES NOT HAVE ROOM FOR SUCH ----------- ITS A ROUGH LIFE ON THE OCEAN AND WITH KIDS YOU BETTER START WITH A SOLID BOAT AND SOME SEATIME..AND AS ALWAYS,, I HAVE NO CLUE!!! K&T :cool:

A friend of mine crossed the pacific 3 times in a Brown Sea Runner, It just depends what kind of plywood was used and how it was fastened. Marine plywood fastened with bronze or stainless screws good, CDX fastened with galvanized nails not so good.

woody with a view - 8-16-2012 at 01:26 PM

"CDX fastened with galvanized nails not so good"

:lol:

a three hour tour!

larryC - 8-16-2012 at 02:24 PM

I would think that if you were gonna use cdx, why would you spend the extra money on galvanized nails? Just a thought.

monoloco - 8-16-2012 at 02:59 PM

You'd be surprised at how some of those were constructed, I wasn't joking about using CDX, what's even more surprising is how long some of them have remained afloat.

surfer jim - 8-16-2012 at 04:04 PM

Five people on that boat...what a mess.

Any word on where they came from and are heading to?

To make it worse the first photo shows SURFBOARDS on the deck. Now there are some "locals"

Mula - 8-16-2012 at 04:09 PM

"God protects fools and drunks."

Mexitron - 8-16-2012 at 06:00 PM

Any more updates if someone is fixing the boat for them?

Mexitron - 8-28-2012 at 08:14 AM

We had a trip planned to the Punta Blanca area last week so we loaded up extra food/water, not knowing if William and Laya were still stranded down the coast at Punta Cono. After spending some time with Brooks Smith et al at a never to be disclosed location (hah!) we headed south along the steep coast road instead of the inland silt beds and found that they are indeed still marooned there at Cono---on the northwest part of the bay---luckily the safest place to be. We gave them what we could (and still be able to get back home). Bruce and Gay (from Bay of LA?) had come out and put the boat up on a trailer so the damage could be worked on. However they did not have any fiberglass, and had returned home to try to find supplies. The fishermen and Bill (Larry's friend) at El Marron know about the situation and are bringing some supplies occasionally. There was some talk that William's brother was trying to bring down repair material too.
Despite everyone's help so far they will soon be low on supplies again---we got them about a week's worth of food/water----more supplies would be greatly appreciated if anyone is in the area. Bill is doing what he can but just has so much to give.
William did say he has a Garmin GPS and had loaded it up with navigation charts but the Garmin won't recognize the charts since they're not from Garmin. He has a CD of charts too though and says he will try to merge the two. Again, any help with charts would be greatly appreciated, of course with the hope that they will set sail again.
William and Laya are very nice people...there was some talk that they should abandon the boat and get the kids back to LA....but the but is their home, literally, and I think they'd like to see if they can fix it.
Will post more if I left something out---brain is still re-engaging into the rat-race.

durrelllrobert - 8-28-2012 at 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by woody with a view
"CDX fastened with galvanized nails not so good"

:lol:

a three hour tour!

Back in the '60s I bought a tear drop trailer that was built that way. First time taking the kids camping I went up 9 mile canyon from hgw 395 to Kennedy Meadows and by the time I got to the top both sides were flapping in the breeze. I left it there.

pointdog - 8-28-2012 at 03:41 PM

absolute folly.

Nemo55 - 8-28-2012 at 05:31 PM

Thanks Mexitron,
Nice to hear some people are helping out.

BajaBruno - 8-28-2012 at 05:37 PM

Where is the rudder on that boat?

desertcpl - 8-28-2012 at 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaBruno
Where is the rudder on that boat?

at the stern of the boat ( rear)

degoma - 8-28-2012 at 06:11 PM

Mexitron,

Gay and I had just left Pta.Cono a few hours before you rolled in on Saturday morning after camping up there for 12 days. When we left the water situation was critical (6 or 7 gallons) so we went straight to Boca de Marron to inform Mario Maclish (the spelling is how he wrote it ) of the dire situation.

From William’s camp we brought large water containers, an empty propane bottle, a grocery list, a list of boat repair related things and money to pay for it all. Mario was in Ensenada and had been expected back the day before. I had a long talk with Mario’s mother and his youngest brother Marcos (one of 9!). After that we headed back to camp with Bill at Cardon.

Shortly after dark, Mario pulls into camp. I could hardly believe it; driving from Ensenada, arriving home after dark; he gets back in his truck and drives another 12 miles up, ‘that’ road. He brushed it off saying he had some things to bring to Bill anyway. We went over the lists and talked about how the repair might proceed.

Bright and early then next morning (Sunday) I get the full debrief from Bill about the great drop-off you made the day before. We are leaving for home so, on the way out we stop in and let Mario know that the situation is off the critical list for now. He was relieved since, as Woody pointed out, it is the season and they are very busy.

We really came to admire that family after the nearly two weeks we spent with them. Lea is baking bread, beans and rice in a solar oven when she is not helping William haul buckets of sand out of the boat. William is a trained cabinet maker and has the skills to do the wood work part of the repairs. Mario said the fiber glass is no problema for them. Over the last two weeks with the help of Mario, Alberto and Adan we have been able to move the boat over 30’ up the beach to a point where making repairs is feasible. Mario offered for Lea and the kids to come down to Boca de Marron and stay with his family if they wanted to.

William had some nice cordless power tools aboard but the only thing that seems to have survived…at least somewhat…is the circular saw. Before we left I took stock of what we had that I knew he could use: hand wood saw, 8 ton hydraulic jack, fractional drill index, Makita cordless drill, Makita flash light (with spare bulb), charger, 200 watt inverter, very bright head lamp, round nose shovel, half of my cribbing, grey tarps, big pack of AA batteries, a yellow tow strap, lots of scampi's and a crocodile fire stripe. We also cut our water down to the bare minimum for the trip to the highway and gave them our excess food.

Bruce

Airing up the trailer.

Getting it on the trailer.

This is the, "rubber band" that I created out of 6 loops of Williams 1/2" twisted nylon line. Before ever attempting a pull I concluded that without this, "stored energy" there was no way that one truck with 2.5 wheel drive was going to be able to pull that boat out of the wet sand, up hill in loose sand...no matter how low I dropped the tire pressure! The rubber band was around 22' long. To make a pull I would back up nearly to the trailer and then, go for it.

Ready to pull here. Of course we made sure everyone was well clear of that rubber band.

These are the,"Sea Scouts". They are getting an education this Summer, I can tell you that.

These shots are of the first day pulling when the tide was actually floating the boat some. I think we made about 10'. The next day the tide was of no more help but fortunately Alberto showed up with a small 4-wheel drive pickup. We hooked him up with several strands of 5/8" twisted nylon line direct to the rear axle of the trailer. He was not acting as a rubber band; rather he would watch my run and when I was about to the end he would go for it in a normal pull type mode.

The third day we were alone again and running out of beach...there was a dune in my path! We shortened the rubber band by 1/2 and then when we came up against the dune again we knocked the dune down some and put plywood ramps on it.

A good pull was 2' but we had a lot of 8" pulls as well. Like I mentioned, we managed to get it about 30' up the beach.

(Editing by degoma to fix broken photo links)

[Edited on 8-30-2012 by BajaNomad]

[Edited on 12-1-2013 by degoma]

Nemo55 - 8-28-2012 at 07:51 PM

My hat is off to you Bruce, you are a real stand up guy, it would be a pleasure to buy the beers mate.

Alex

Mexitron - 8-28-2012 at 08:03 PM

I second that---that's a fine piece of engineering to pull that boat up like that!

Thanks for the update Bruce. William and Lea had nothing but nice things to say about you---bravo!

Steve and Delia

BajaBlanca - 8-29-2012 at 08:01 AM

wow....that is a lot of work ! great that so many of you are helping out !

BajaBlanca - 8-29-2012 at 08:03 AM

I just reread one of the last comments and Lea is making bread ? beans ? rice ? in a solar oven ? way to go. that is just amazing.

Ateo - 8-29-2012 at 08:25 AM

Totally epic example of human ingenuity and assistance.

Nemo55 - 8-29-2012 at 08:44 AM

And that's a sturdy looking crew for sure,, :bounce:

degoma - 8-29-2012 at 09:20 AM

We always bring our solar oven with us to camp. It’s a smaller version that folds into the size of an attaché case. Lea and Gay really hit it off over solar ovens!

Lea has no shortage of help.

Oven in the dunes.

Two jars of tea and the bread baking in the black pot.

RE the earlier question about the rudder: it has been un-shipped and is off in a pile of other gear.

(Editing by degoma to fix broken photo links 12-1-2013)

[Edited on 8-30-2012 by BajaNomad]

[Edited on 12-1-2013 by degoma]

[Edited on 12-1-2013 by degoma]

JorgeN - 8-29-2012 at 08:39 PM

Hello everyone, please, please, read this through and help Amelia's mother find her daughter and grandsons. (That's Layla's real name)

I am in contact with the mother of the lady on the photos and she is very concerned about the safety of her daughter and her grandkids, you see, the guy William, is wanted in the US for domestic abuse (according to the lady).

If you read through the post, people have offered them to take them to the nearest town and William has refused every time, also, they did not give anybody their last name and they gave fake names, they call the lady Layla, but her real name is Amelia Leone, her mother Bridget Fields received a distress call saying she and the kids needed help but couldn’t give her any more info. I somehow ended up talking to Bridget, call it fate or anything you want, I felt it was the right thing to do to help as much as I could.

I just want to contact the people who are helping them so they know the real story, Im just someone trying to help, if you wish, you can contact Bridget directly, her number is 619-734-5092, the guy is wanted by the Banning PD back in Cali, so you would understand how worried Bridget is.

If you have any questions, please contact me through this forum or contact Bridget directly.

I am sorry for breaking the story of a happy family portrait, but according to Amelia's story, it's just a cover so they dont find out who William really is.

Please HELP!

I am attaching a picture Bridget sent me, just so you know that we are talking about the same people.

[Edited on 8-30-2012 by JorgeN]

JorgeN - 8-29-2012 at 08:48 PM

We are trying to get more info, I am in Cabo, I work at Pisces, I was lucky to receive the call, Bridget is trying to get me a copy of the Banning PD report.

This is the last email she sent me:

From: ************************
Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2012 20:24:02
To: <jorge@piscessportfishing.com>
Subject: RE: Pick of me in the middle and daughte

Hi jorge, this is the number to banning police dept. 9519223170  Here is also the number to banning court 9515725408 because her is on summary probation which is through the court. Thank you, Bridget.

I cant post the picture for some reason, so I am adding a link so you can see it.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108239191779295814282/AmeliaLeo...

[Edited on 8-30-2012 by JorgeN]

[Edited on 8-30-2012 by BajaNomad]

Ateo - 8-29-2012 at 08:53 PM

Hmmmm. Lots to think of here......

JorgeN - 8-29-2012 at 08:59 PM

Hopefully we can clear this up, I mean, the lady was crying on the phone but there are always 2 sides of a story, I'd just hate to know someone got hurt because I didn't do my part.

WILLIAM WHAT??

captkw - 8-29-2012 at 09:07 PM

DO YOU HAVE A PIC AND ANYTHING BESIDES HERESAY!! BOAT FOLK'S TAKE CARE OF BIZZ!!! WE HAVE RADIO'S (COMM'S) AND NET'S AND SOME OTHER TRICK'S ..IF YOU HAVE FACTS THAT ARE REAL.....PLEASE SHARE ..AND CONTACT "LATITUDE 38" AND MARY & MAC AT MARINA DEL LA PAZ...OR EVEN U.S.C.G.....DON'T TROLL FOR B.S. HERE...THERE IS WIDE SPREAD KNOWING THAT A TRI IS ON THE HARD !! MORE ON INCIDENT,,, FACT'S WOULD BE HELPFUL !!

Mexitron - 8-29-2012 at 09:25 PM

The plot thickens....unfortunate if true, but does explain some things, like why there was seemingly no attempt to bring in the Mexican or American maritime authorities to help out. Well, the kids still need food.

Nemo55 - 8-29-2012 at 09:29 PM

Well as long as the Woman and kids are being helped, that's the important thing.
All else can be passed along to the proper channels, what have the other ladies had to say? usually women will talk to other women before they will talk to men.

If someones wife can take her aside and talk to her,,make sure all is ok maybe..but taking care of those kids is all important right now,,,everything else is secondary.

motoged - 8-29-2012 at 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by desertcpl

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaBruno
Where is the rudder on that boat?

at the stern of the boat ( rear)

Skipjack Joe - 8-29-2012 at 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JorgeN

.....her mother Bridget Fields received a distress call saying she and the kids needed help but couldn’t give her any more info.

If William is an abuser as you say he is, haven't you put her in harm's way now by making her cry for help public?

William is sure to read this eventually.

David K - 8-29-2012 at 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JorgeN
We are trying to get more info, I am in Cabo, I work at Pisces, I was lucky to receive the call, Bridget is trying to get me a copy of the Banning PD report.

This is the last email she sent me:

From: ************************
Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2012 20:24:02
To: <jorge@piscessportfishing.com>
Subject: RE: Pick of me in the middle and daughte

Hi jorge, this is the number to banning police dept. 9519223170  Here is also the number to banning court 9515725408 because her is on summary probation which is through the court. Thank you, Bridget.

I cant post the picture for some reason, so I am adding a link so you can see it.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108239191779295814282/AmeliaLeo...

degoma - 8-29-2012 at 11:47 PM

Wow, no kidding about lots to think of here:

JorgeN said it….”…there are always 2 sides of a story…” and now for Gay and I there are 3 sides to this one. Let me relay what transpired today.

First I’ll review some of what’s been written or posted in a effort to keep this as factual as possible based on what we know. All along I respect JorgeN’s concern and call for possible fast action.

The picture that JorgeN linked to is the Lea Leone that we know.

The number posted for Bridget is correct (Gay talked with her twice today).

We have a different email address (Gay sent one with a link to this thread but has not heard back yet).

When LarryC first posted names they had given him (8-8-2012 at 04:41 PM) it was William and Layla. On the way up to Pta. Cono (for our vacation) we stopped in to see our friends at Cardon where LarryC had recently been camped with them. They had trouble with Lea’s name…L.er.Lyla..Lilia . When we arrived at Pta. Cono and met them Gay asked Lea what her name was…how did she spell it. Lea said her real name was Amilia but that she had gone by Lea since high school. She said her last name was Leone.

Ok, that’s the immediate clarification as we know it. Now, how it went for the 12 days we were camped near them. Please note…most of what follows we would never have posted…it’s not part of the story as we saw it; but seems like it’s pertinent now and we only hope that it will help…somehow.

After a few days Lea came over for the, “woman to woman” talk that Nemo 55 so accurately predicted (I was fishing). The essence of that talk was that there were marital problems and she wanted to leave with the kids. Gay suggested that she not make marital problems the issue…rather leave for the safety of herself and the children given the hazards of just being there. About that time I wandered into camp and Gay said I needed to hear this…she asked Lea if she minded. Lea told me herself. My reaction was that if there was any question about the safety of the children, marital problems aside, she should leave and we would take her.

You can imagine…there we are…barely 3 days…dropping off groceries and water…thinking, oh what a wonderful family and now this! Geeeze.

A few days later, when I went over to drop off a hydraulic jack, she told me she told William she was leaving…they had a big fight and that’s why he was out fishing so long. When I got back to camp we had a serious discussion of how we would handle that given the four of them, us and our dog (who had snapped at the kids). We figured how it would work and decided that taking them to stay with Mario’s family would be the first step (Mario had offered that). They had no passports (but did have birth certificates) and at the time we thought they may have to go to a U.S. Consulate…but we have recently learned this is not the case…just go to the border…if you have birth certificates no problem…if not they will interview you to determine your citizenship. They do not want to keep U.S. citizens out of the country and will not make you go to a consulate.

That afternoon William came to our camp. We talked about the boat plan a bit and then I confront him….William, Lea is concerned for the safety of the children and wants to leave. If she really wants to do this we will take her…do you have a problem with that? He said no, if they want to leave I’m not going to stop them. Leaving did not come up again.

(Are we on vacation yet?)

When we left them on the 25th of August Lea gave us two phone numbers and email for her mother Bridget, her sister’s cell phone and grandmother’s phone number. Also, both her and Williams email addresses and full names plus her Facebook name. She gave Gay a long letter for her mom.

Today Gay called both phone numbers and left specific messages that she had seen Lea, the family was in Mexico they were fine…don’t worry and please call back for more info. Bridget called back within minutes. They had a long conversation. The main thing Lea wanted passed along was…mom, please don’t panic…we are ok but I would like you to come down and get us. Bridget was very relieved …she said she had not heard from Lea since March. Gay asked for her address so she could mail Lea’s letter which she did today. Bridget had already contacted the authorities with photos and names of all family members. Bridget did not mention that she had received a call from Lea or anything about police charges against William. She was not crying or emotional but very relieved and thankful. She really appreciated the call.

After Gay hung up I said it was important to cancel the missing persons report since they weren’t missing anymore…I believe search and rescue folks like it when family members update them. She called back, left another message and Bridget called back within minutes. After she passed along my request she also reiterated what was said in the letter...Lea wanted her mother to come and get them; she was not requesting a search and rescue type evacuation.

After these calls Gay emailed her the link to this thread, plus photos of the family and said please call if there is any way we can help further.

When it became apparent that there were family problems we tried to be upfront and truthful with everyone. This is a painful post for us.

Mulegena - 8-30-2012 at 12:51 AM

First, I'd like to thank you and your wife for the kindness shown to these young people.
You've gone a step or two beyond to help these folks, much appreciated.

To sum up your candid and personal account:

1. The two adults lied about their names.
2. They may have misrepresented their agenda.
3. He may have an outstanding US arrest warrant.
4. The young mother expressed her wish to leave.
5. The boyfriend knows of her wish to leave him.
6. The young mother chose not to leave the shipwreck when the opportunity arose but instead sent a message asking her own mother to drive down into a remote part of Baja, Mexico in the summer to retrieve herself and her children.
7. You've complied with the young woman's request in contacting her mother.

degoma - 8-30-2012 at 07:27 AM

Mulegena, thank you..

Items 4, 5, 6 and 7 of your succinct summation of our account are correct with the exception of number 5….William is the husband and father. Items 1, 2, and 3 are not part of our account.

paranewbi - 8-30-2012 at 07:47 AM

I don't think this is the time to judge that couple. We don't know what are the total facts other than what degoma has forwarded to us and even he seems to not wish to have others interpret any of what he has revealed for what it is not.

Few have had a blissful marriage without bumps in it and most have felt like bailing out when stress enters. For whatever reason these folks are dealing with their relationship the way they are...how many of us in their shoes would be dancing the night away together?

Thank you degoma and others for being the sunshine in their lives right now.

JorgeN - 8-30-2012 at 08:13 AM

Wow, I am really impressed about the response, as I said, there are 2 sides of a story, I am not judging anyone, we all have made mistakes and deserve a second chance, but the safety of a person, and much more of a child could have been in jeopardy so action was to be taken.

Degoma, thank you and thank Gay for helping them out and contacting Bridget, I'm glad they want to go back.

JorgeN - 8-30-2012 at 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Skipjack Joe

Quote:

Originally posted by JorgeN

.....her mother Bridget Fields received a distress call saying she and the kids needed help but couldn’t give her any more info.

If William is an abuser as you say he is, haven't you put her in harm's way now by making her cry for help public?

William is sure to read this eventually.

Hi Skipjack, as far as I know, they are in a remote beach with limited access to communication, the guys helping them were most likely to read this WAY before William could. I cannot confirm that he is an abusive man, all I have is a mother´s word and there was no way of contacting anybody there but through this forums. I did what I thought was the right thing to do and Im sticking with it, I rather send a false alarm than find out that someone got hurt because I didnt do anything at all.

rhintransit - 8-30-2012 at 08:22 AM

I haven't made any comment thus far but the first thing I did when I saw the original page or two of posts was roll my eyes and sigh 'another one.'
the cruising community, with which I'm well acquainted, has seen enough of these situations...poorly equipped barely floating vessels laden all the worldly possessions of person/persons of marginal to no boating skills, grounded or sinking due to nature and operator error (usually the latter) with various hard luck stories and no funds.
this is not to say that aid is not offered, just as has been done here. nor that compassion is not warranted. do remember that while there are always two and three and four sides to every story, one generally should not surprised at all with how things unfold, generally with recurring crisis and drama.
and do know that if/when the vessel is cast off again, it's almost guaranteed that down the coast or across the ocean, the cycle will begin again.

Nemo55 - 8-30-2012 at 09:19 AM

@rhintransit...

I'm sorry if this will offend you,,,but...Who gives a chit if they are poor, or unprepared, with a boat not up to some peoples standards,etc..??????

If you have a personal agenda such as "Leave them be and let them Rot" then why don't you come right out and say so???

As it is, they are in need of help, and i for one will render assistance to any fellow traveler in need, be he/they rich or poor, or whatever their color or creed.

Again i don't mean to come off as insulting to you, just your point of view, and others like yours never seem to do anything except generate ill feelings.

Fools walk in where Angels fear to tread,,,Thank God for the Fools.

shari - 8-30-2012 at 09:39 AM

Degoma....thanks so much for your honest, succinct post of first hand information. I have followed this thread with great interest as I was once part of the cruising community too...and experienced a shipwreck in Costa Rica. Every wreck has a story...heck nearly every person has a story! there are always many reasons people take to the sea and this particular one is not an uncommon occurrence.

I applaud the folks helping this family...I was helped by so many amazing angels in our wreck and know how it feels to be in a foreign country with nothing...I was left with only the clothes on my back and getting back on track was an adventure of a lifetime.

I'm glad they are safe and being helped and hopefully the gals will be rescued soon by family....thanks again nomads for your spirit of helping those in need...no matter what the story.

rhintransit - 8-30-2012 at 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Nemo55
@rhintransit...

I'm sorry if this will offend you,,,but...Who gives a chit if they are poor, or unprepared, with a boat not up to some peoples standards,etc..??????

If you have a personal agenda such as "Leave them be and let them Rot" then why don't you come right out and say so???

As it is, they are in need of help, and i for one will render assistance to any fellow traveler in need, be he/they rich or poor, or whatever their color or creed.

Again i don't mean to come off as insulting to you, just your point of view, and others like yours never seem to do anything except generate ill feelings.

Fools walk in where Angels fear to tread,,,Thank God for the Fools.

I am not offended, just sorry that you took my post that way. I can see how you might have. I apologize if I offended anyone by sharing my observational experience without the balance of the compassion I do also share. it was like attacking a Newbie who asks a question we've head a million times already.
these things (a boat/family in trouble) do happen, more frequently than most people may know, and yes, in my observation, more often to a certain type of boat/boater. I know many who have shared the observations with me., mostly we keep it among ourselves, as I probably should have. some folks do get burnt out but the cruising community (and I ) and Nomad community step up again and again in to help those in need.
I can't count the number of boats/people who have been rescued and the tireless efforts of the cruisers and land based folk of Pto Escondito, where I lived for 5 years and personally wrung out salted clohes, rinsed off/temporarily stored possessions, hauled water/food, fed dogs, lent and given tools and supplies, etc, etc, etc. I've as a "fool" walked in time and time again, knowing that I might well have to do it again for certain people/boats, but not helping is never an option.
bless all the fools out there helping.

woody with a view - 8-30-2012 at 11:07 AM

there are 3 sides to every story, actually. your version, my version and the truth.

that said, everyone has a smile on their faces so i don't think it would be cool to go running to the Banning PD with stories of a dad kidnapping the family or WHATEVER. the lady can leave if she wants to apparently. it seems she hasn't left yet for her reasons.

everyone who has been on scene is an outstanding example of human nature. i'd love to be able to shake your hand(s) one day! your karma score is adding up nicely!

Nemo55 - 8-30-2012 at 11:29 AM

Yeah, i may have misread your post, and for that i apologize.
Being a newbie, i gotta say,,You Nomads are a great bunch.
Cheer's!!!!

larryC - 8-30-2012 at 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mulegena
First, I'd like to thank you and your wife for the kindness shown to these young people.
You've gone a step or two beyond to help these folks, much appreciated.

To sum up your candid and personal account:

1. The two adults lied about their names.
2. They may have misrepresented their agenda.
3. He may have an outstanding US arrest warrant.
4. The young mother expressed her wish to leave.
5. The boyfriend knows of her wish to leave him.
6. The young mother chose not to leave the shipwreck when the opportunity arose but instead sent a message asking her own mother to drive down into a remote part of Baja, Mexico in the summer to retrieve herself and her children.
7. You've complied with the young woman's request in contacting her mother.

Mulegena
The couple did not misrepresent their names to me. When I asked their names they responded with William and what I heard was "Layla" but my hearing is not great.
Larry

larryC - 8-30-2012 at 05:49 PM

Thanks everyone for helping thisfamily out, however it turns out.

Degoma
For some reason I don't see your photos, all I get is a blank with a red X in the upper left hand portion where the photo should be. When I right click on the red X I get a drop down menu and from there I click on "show picture" but it never opens. Is the link broke or is my computer broke?
Larry

Mexitron - 8-30-2012 at 08:40 PM

Larry---my computer still shows the photos....

degoma - 8-30-2012 at 08:42 PM

Larry,

I checked on 3 different computers and all show the photos.

JorgeN - 8-31-2012 at 09:07 AM

Hi again everyone, Bridget (Amelia's mother) is looking for a way to get ther to pick up the kids, but first she needs to know if they are still at the beach, if anyone has seen them after Degoma and Gay. She is trying to get her pasport but they will not give it to her unelss she can confirm that her family is in distress. Any help would be appreciated, even the number of the local police would help a lot!

DavidE - 8-31-2012 at 09:26 AM

DO NOT GET THE COPS INVOLVED! PERIOD! Unless the kids are in absolute imminent danger. This is not the USA, and if the cops decide there is money in it for them then this thing will fast morph into the biggest fustercluck you have ever seen.

This is a tough problem. There really are no foolproof answers.

David K - 8-31-2012 at 09:28 AM

Understand they are in a remote area of Baja... no paved roads, no town, no police. The closest villages are Santa Rosalillita, about 35 miles south on a graded dirt road, and Punta Prieta about 20 miles southeast, over a mountain, no road directly to it.

larryC - 8-31-2012 at 09:47 AM

JorgeN
Check your u2u.

degoma - 8-31-2012 at 10:08 AM

Jorge,

Thank you for your help as well. Bridget emailed Gay yesterday about her plan to get a passport and head down there. We are concerned that this is a bigger undertaking than she understands or is prepared to do. We have a call in to her right now to discuss all aspects of this, “tough problem”, not the least of which is, “…asking her own mother to drive down into a remote part of Baja, Mexico in the summer to retrieve herself and her children”.

In the mean time, some things to keep in mind in lieu of a real emergency: They have been sailing since February and it has not been a lark; they’ve been on the beach for over 5 weeks doing fairly well. We still have a friend at Cardon (12 miles from Pta. Cono) with an internet connection; other friends of ours are headed there in a week and an email address for one of Mario Maclish’s sons.

I think we can work this out in a way that does not jeopardize Lea’s mom. It’s just going to take some thinking and planning and communicating.

I second what DavidE said!

Bruce

I 3RD WHAT DAVED E SAID!!!

captkw - 8-31-2012 at 10:10 AM

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