38 Year Old John Grady Missing Since 4/3/15 in Aruba

[texasmom]

http://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-palm-beach-county/delray-beach/john-grady-delray-beach-man-missing-in-aruba

Uncle: Delray Beach man who went missing in Aruba found alive
WPTV Webteam
11:34 AM, Apr 4, 2015
2 hours ago

UPDATE: Newschannel 5 has spoken to John Grady's uncle, who says his nephew was found alive 60 miles off of Aruba, 37 miles from Colombia. He says he is unsure about when Grady will return to the U.S.

 

[Red]

So they were due back by noon! 

I'm thankful they're safe and sound, but it still concerns me that it took so long for the search to begin.

60 MILES OFF OF ARUBA???!!!??? He was found actually closer to to Columbia than Aruba. Seriously?

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/caribb/awcarib.gif

Lucky man. Glad he was found. Nice safety precautions be the Aruba water-sport folks, not!

[MuffyBee]

 
So glad John Grady has been found safe!!

I was afraid this would be more recovery than rescue, especially since he went missing in Aruba... 

[texasmom]

http://www.awe24.com/20150404/21399/Tankero_Port_Said_a_encontra_e_2_Kite-Surfernan_perdi_riba_lama_37_miya_NW_di



Papiamentu translation:

tankero port said owing to encontra the 2 kite- surfernan perdi on lama 37 mile nw of arube

17 hora happen come across, 4 of april 2015 20:51

seccion: incidente photograph of tankero port said owing to encontra the 2 kite-surfernan perdi on lama 37 mile nw of arube 2 kitesurfernan encontra. tankero port said owing to achieve the boat cu the 2 kitesurfernan upstairs dje at 37 mile noordwest of aruba. hour cu owing to meld the buskeda of the 2 kitesurfernan at once owing to place the alerta upstairs the sistema navtex. navtex is one sistema cu is meld at all barco in the area cu have one boat cu 2 person perdi. one rato after of 7 or of night the tankero port said owing to detecta one light diminutive upstairs lama y hour they owing to bay more serka owing to encontra the boat cu the 2 personanan perdi. at the momentonan here the stationschip zeeland cu one helicopter of us coast guard abordo is direccion the tankero port said for take the 2 personanan here over.


http://www.awe24.com/20150404/21398/Cuerpo_Policial_Aruba_investigando_desaparicion_di_John_Grady_y_Fernando_Dulce

[texasmom]

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/details/ships/shipid:716008/mmsi:538090298/imo:9246475/vessel:PORT_SAID



Info Received: 16 h, 53 min ago (2015-04-05 01:19)
Area:  Caribbean Sea
Latitude / Longitude: 12.78647° / -70.80095°
Status: Underway
Speed/Course: 12.9kn / 313°
AIS Source:  828
Itineraries History
Latest Positions
Nearby Vessels

Voyage Related Info (Last Received)
Destination   KINGSTON [JM]
ETA   2015-04-06 08:00 UTC
Last Known Port   PUNTA CARDON [VE] (2015-04-04 17:10:00)
Previous Port   RIO HAINA [DO] (2015-03-09 18:58:00)
Draught   9.2m
Speed recorded (Max / Average)   11.6 / 11 knots
Info Received   2015-04-05 01:07 (17 h, 5 min ago)

Recent Port CallsLocal Time  Time (UTC)
Port   Arrival (LT)   Departure (LT)   In Transit
VE PUNTA CARDON (UTC-4.5)   2015-03-22 01:59:00   2015-04-04 12:41:00   
No Port Calls recorded during the past 3 days

Vessel Particulars Last update: 2015-03-29 02:11:00

IMO: 9246475
Name: PORT SAID
MMSI: 538090298
Type: CHEMICAL TANKER
Gross Tonnage: 29998
Summer DWT: 46211 t
Build: 2003
Flag: MARSHALL ISLANDS

Itineraries for PORT SAID

Vessel Name   Time (UTC)   Event   Area   Port   Speed (kn)   Course (°)   Latitude (°)   Longitude (°)   Show on Map
PORT SAID   2015-04-05 09:19   Midday position   Caribbean Sea   
Satellite data. Upgrade to view more
PORT SAID   2015-04-05 00:51   Changed Course   Caribbean Sea      4.1   297   12.71958   -70.74288   Show on Map
PORT SAID   2015-04-05 00:23   Changed Course   Caribbean Sea      4.4   265   12.72223   -70.72295   Show on Map
PORT SAID   2015-04-05 00:13   Underway   Caribbean Sea      3.6   324   12.7209   -70.71056   Show on Map
PORT SAID   2015-04-05 00:09   Midnight position   Caribbean Sea      1.4   120   12.71868   -70.71062   Show on Map
PORT SAID   2015-04-04 23:32   Stopped   Caribbean Sea      0.2   52   12.72817   -70.69532   Show on Map
PORT SAID   2015-04-04 17:11   Departure      PUNTA CARDON               Show on Map
Found 7 records

[texasmom]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=935263356536549&set=p.935263356536549&type=1&theater

[texasmom]

Thank goodness this one had a happy ending, but some things will never change.   

https://www.facebook.com/jazzman60/posts/10203567133051018

Patrick Repper
Yesterday at 10:24am ·
Thank you Mark for taking on the task of cold-calling and cold-contacting every TV station and newspaper in Miami and West Palm Beach. Anyone with any useful media contacts I encourage you to jump right in and thanks in advance.

 

https://www.facebook.com/jazzman60/posts/10203567133051018?comment_id=10203568022513254&offset=0&total_comments=15

Dee Bobbie Eads Patrick has talked to so many, he couldn't confirm if it was indeed an Channelle or not, but it went pretty well. One of the people that called wanted to do a Skype interview with Danielle, but she's just not ready to do that yet.....still no word as to any new information, except that the Aruba police want it "kept quiet as possible".....it's like Patrick said, it's like the mayor in Jaws not wanting it out there about a shark in the area, it would hurt "summer business"......
Yesterday at 2:02pm

[texasmom]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/local/missing-delray-beach-man-safe-in-aruba-relative-sa/nknKm/

Missing Delray Beach man safe in Aruba, relative says
 5:06 p.m. Sunday, April 5, 2015 | Filed in: Southern PBC

A Delray Beach man vacationing in Aruba spent some 30 hours stranded at sea and was rescued by an oil tanker, a relative said Sunday.

John J. Grady, 38, was reported missing Friday afternoon when he didn’t return from a kiteboarding excursion. He was rescued Saturday after spending Friday night and most of Saturday on a 10-foot inflatable boat, said his stepbrother, Christopher Wilkinson of Palm Beach Gardens.

[texasmom]

Some footage from the rescue here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBgtSD-gKxU

Kustwacht a trece Fernando Dulce y John Grady sano y salvo pa nan famia
15ATV

Published on Apr 5, 2015
E tabata un buskeda intensivo pa dos persona cu tabata perdi. Personal di Kustwacht a mobiliza tur nan ekipo tanto den aire como riba lama pa asina purba localiza e dos hombernan cu a perde contacto cu nan desde diabierna santo. E instructor Fernando Dulce y tambe John Grady diadomingo mainta algo prome cu 7or a pone pia bek riba tera na e base di Kustwacht na Savaneta.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/LBgtSD-gKxU" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/LBgtSD-gKxU</a>

[texasmom]

More pictures at the link:

https://www.facebook.com/korpspolitiearuba/timeline/story?ut=43&wstart=0&wend=1430463599&hash=-6465159971895029408

Korps Politie Aruba added 17 new photos to the album: A localisa turista y instructor di Kitesurfing riba lama.
4 hrs ·

Papiamentu translation:

good coordinacion among. kustwacht, police y botonan priva owing to localisa tourist y instructor of kitesurfing on lama saturday in oranan of nightfall owing to enter confirmacion cu the tankero port said owing to localisa the tourist y the instructor of kitesurfing cu was perdi on lama for of bierna sand. today diadomingo morning owing to descend the two naufragonan at marinierskazerne at savaneta. diabierna night one tourist female owing to notifica cu his amigo, the tourist masculino john joseph grady, owing to leave for of 9:00am for bay take lesson of “kite surfing” for of fernando dulce, cu is owner of the business “extreme winds”. they have to owing to come across bek at ritz carlton hotel for 12:00pm but john grady not owing to aparece. strand politie y police maritimo together cu kustwacht owing to cuminsa prepara for buskeda. strand politie owing to leave together cu the lady d.w. on caya y owing to cuminsa one buskeda tanto at sitionan turistico, where turistanan know bay relaha ordinarily after of watersports y after at the adres where they're hospedando y another sitionan of interest for cu the investigacion. for more or less 11:00pm kustwacht owing to cuminsa cu buskeda on lama after cu esun at ground not owing to give result. owing to haci usage of boat, plane in air for patrol y helicopter. sinembargo, in oranan of nightfall owing to succeed localisa the two naufragonan. at once the tankero owing to happen they for her stationschip "zeelander" pendiente for keep costa of caribe dutch for busca they. the two hombernan had sufficient water abordo of they boat diminutive. specialmente by of the experiencia of the instructor, past owing to percura for is prepara tanto mentalmente because; cu the ekiponan necesario for sobrebibi on lama. they owing to count ; cu in day tankeronan owing to happen close of they but alas not owing to see they. in oranan of night, because; cu they had luz, if the tankero owing to succeed localisa the boat diminutive cu the two hombernan abordo. at keep costa the naufragonan owing to count ; cu one combinacion of factornan, near of the factor wind, owing to conduci cu they owing to bay so far for of costa cu not can owing to succeed arrive more. "e result end here do not come of suerte. not only i am convenci cu we good god owing to place his hands miraculous on we, but the attempt of all departamento, tanto of cuerpo policial because; another departamentonan of gobierno y no-gubernamental owing to conduci at the result feliz aki", so lito lacle, encarga cu the departamento of comunicacion, informacion y prevencion of cuerpo policial aruba owing to give of conoce. "nos have sufficient experiencia awo in casonan so y we of cuerpo policial is contento cu all instancia necesario owing to give all of they near for together we succeed. at end, now we have two family feliz y one cuerpo of police proud of we esfuersonan".

[texasmom]

https://www.facebook.com/Xtremewinds/posts/10206560051745843

Fernando Dulce
8 hrs · Oranjestad, Aruba ·
MIL GRACIAS !!!!!! a todos los que se preocuparon por nosotros, gracias a dios que teníamos algunas herramientas y pudimos sobrevivir!!!!!!!
Thousand Thanks!!!!!! to everybody who was worry for us, thanks god we have some tools that help us to survive!!!!!
Especial Gracias para Mike Eman, Martin Molina y a los Guardacostas de Aruba y Holanda!!!!!
Specially for Mike Eman, Martin Molina and the Arubian and Dutch Cost Guard.

translation:

Thank you!!!!!! to all those who asked about us, thank god that we had some tools and we were able to survive!!!!!!!
Thousand Thanks!!!!!! to everybody who was worry for us, thanks god we have some tools that help us to survive!!!!!
Special thanks to mike eman, martin Molina and the coast of Aruba and holland!!!!!
Specially for Mike Eman, Martin Molina and the Arubian and Dutch Cost Guard.

[texasmom]

I never found them in the Chamber registry either.  Kitesurfing Aruba has an address very near this one, but I don't think it's the same group.

http://www.24ora.com/policial-mainmenu-8/93749-cuerpo-policial-aruba-investigando-desaparicion-di-john-grady-y-fernando-dulce

snipped from the comments:

Papiamentu translation:

 

do not kom voor in kvk register april 04, 2015  votes: +14 report abuse come across...

is important for autoridadnan cuminsa controla mihor that is esnan cu is handle in the sector of watersports. if they have the papelnan necesario for can handle cu tourist. now is everybody can open one website y cuminsa offer servicio, vooral if they do not of aruba none person is controla they. the sir here tawata certifica? his compania is registra? the is huur 3 appartment also upstairs air bnb, at the adres at bakval where the is geef aan cu the kitesurfing also is. just google. the is be pay tax? trek lering for of the cosnan here, pace now cu tourist owing to lose, is aruba is achieve bad publicidad. cuminsa controla upstairs beach for bedrijfsvergunning y verblijf legaliteits vergunning of the personanan here. after, think in the richting for cuminsa one controle of certificacion, look at if they're apto for give lesson. come across. miss control...

do not kom voor in kvk register april 04, 2015  votes: +6 report abuse come across...
extreme winds neither xtreme winds do not kom voor de kvk register. odd. sterkte at the famianan. much erg.

[Nut44x4]

Miracle

[texasmom]

Miracle

 

[texasmom]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/fl-delray-beach-aruba-man-20150409-story.html

Florida man thankful to be alive after 32 hours lost at sea

By Kate Jacobson
Sun Sentinel
April 10, 2015  11:14am

The sun beat down on John Grady as he lay in the bottom of his 10-foot boat, drifting in and out of sleep.

He had been stranded at sea for more than a day after he and a kite-boarding instructor who were out for a lesson had lost their motor. Grady dreamed of planes flying overhead, of boats bobbing by, and he would jolt up: Someone was there to rescue them! ... only to realize it was all in his head.

"It was surreal," Grady said from his Delray Beach apartment Thursday. He returned home earlier this week and told his harrowing tale. "You dream, but realize that nothing's there."

Grady and his girlfriend, Danielle Wishka, were vacationing in Aruba on Hadicurari Beach. He went out for the kite-boarding session at 9 a.m. on April 3. Rescuers spotted him and his instructor just before 8 p.m. on April 4.

Grady and the instructor were getting ready to head back to shore at about noon. Grady was still in the water as they were packing up when Grady heard a splash. When he looked toward the boat, he saw the horrified expression on his instructor's face and Grady immediately realized what happened: the motor had fallen off the boat.

Quickly, Grady swam toward the boat with his kite still attached. They could use the kite to sail back, Grady rationalized, losing a motor wasn't the worst thing that could happen.

But while transferring the kite aboard the boat, the safety line holding it to him snapped, and the kite drifted away into the sky.

His instructor searched for a radio, a cell phone; a flare gun. But nothing useful was in the boat.

What was worse, he said, is that his instructor was the sole operator of his company. The only person who would realize they were missing was Wishka, and he didn't know when that would be.

"I knew it was really bad," he said. "It's crazy the amount of things that went wrong. It was a sequence of events that is so improbable."

On shore, Wishka said she rationalized why Grady wasn't back in the afternoon. She thought, perhaps, the lesson had gone long. Maybe the two were grabbing a beer or a bite to eat.

She decided to walk down to the beach and see if anyone had seen them.

Peering into the truck the couple had rented, she saw Grady's hat — the hat he never goes anywhere without — and she felt her heart start to sink.

"I was frantically driving around, to the beach to the apartment, trying to figure out what to do," she said. "Finally it hit me. I said, 'I have to call the police.'"

After hours of interviews, the police also realized that Grady was nowhere on land. As the search boats went out, Wishka tried to remain calm.

Out on the water, night had fallen. Grady and his instructor huddled under the kite board to ward off the cold waves. They rationed what little water they had, and Grady began to wonder how far from shore they had drifted.

When morning hit, his heart sank: Before nighfall, he could see buildings in the distance. Now it was just blue — the endless ocean and sky above.

 

They saw a shark; a few dolphins. Birds flew overhead. They saw one tanker, but it didn't see them. Grady figured once it got darker they could aim their flashlights toward any boat they might see.

But for the moment, there was nothing either one of them could do. They lay there drifting, dreaming, and wondering if anyone would find them.

"The ocean is unforgiving," he said. "You have no control."

Just before dusk, they saw another tanker coming toward them. Grady stood up on the back of the boat and flashed the light. He saw the tanker's nose turn.

He knew then they were saved.

"It was the happiest moment of my life," he said. "I can say that for sure."

Wishka was on her third interview with police officers back on Aruba as Grady was boarding the oil tanker. It had been a whirlwind since she realized Grady was missing.

Grady's sister had flown from the U.S. to join her on the island and the two tried to coordinate efforts to find him. Police asked questions but gave few updates. As hours passed, she became increasingly worried.

But then a detective popped his head into the interview room: "I have good news," Wishka remembers him saying. "We found John."

 

The next morning, a Dutch navy destroyer brought Grady and his instructor back to shore. He was a little sunburned and a little dehydrated, but otherwise unscathed.

They got a nice hotel room with a big bed, took long showers and decided they would enjoy the next day. Just not in the water.

Grady and Wishka said they are happy to be home now, safely back in Delray Beach.

They're also warning others that whenever they go out on the ocean, to make sure there's a working radio or cell phone on board.

Had he just had a radio, Grady said, he might not have this tale to tell.

"We were really lucky," Grady said. "Really lucky."

kjacobson@sunsentinel.com, 561-243-6547 or Twitter @katejacobson

[texasmom]

http://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-palm-beach-county/delray-beach/stranded-at-sea-delray-beach-man-describes-nightmare

Stranded at sea, Delray Beach man describes nightmare

Brian Entin
6:00 PM, Apr 9, 2015
6:43 PM, Apr 9, 2015

John Grady is home in Delray Beach after a vacation in Aruba turned into a nightmare that ended with him being stranded at sea for 36 hours.

 

Grady was vacationing with his girlfriend over the weekend. He took a kiteboarding lesson that suddenly went very wrong when he was being pulled into the boat.

"The bad luck is the engine popping off the boat. And when the instructor goes to pull me in the boat, he hit the emergency release on the kite goes sailing away. The kite was going to be our sail to get back to land," Grady said.

With no engine and no kite, Grady and the instructor drifted into the sea on the small rubber boat.

"I looked at him and said get the radio. He said it is not here. I said, 'what do you mean it is not here?' He said, 'I don't have a radio or a cell phone,' " Grady said.

Hours go by. It gets dark, wet, windy and cold.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Dutch Navy were searching, but couldn't locate Grady.

 

After hours watching helicopters and ships in the distance, Grady spotted a tanker and began signaling it with an LED light.

"Somebody on the tanker saw us and I saw the front of the tanker stop and turn towards us," Grady said.

Nearly thirty six hours on the small dingy in the middle of the ocean, and the nightmare was over.

"That was the happiest moment of my life," Grady said.

Grady says the tanker called a Naval boat to pick them up.

Meanwhile, Grady's girlfriend, who was worried and working with police for days to find him, got word he was okay.

 

Grady says the kiteboarding instructor did have water on the small rubber boat, but was not prepared for an emergency.

He hopes his experience will be a reminder for everyone to bring emergency supplies with them on the water.

The couple is also grateful to all their friends and family for the support back home during the troubling time.