Oliver James Montgomery:Weather off the coast of Acapulco hinders efforts to find missing Baltimore man

2025-05-06 06:43:23source:Jonathan Dale Bentoncategory:reviews

Weather conditions are Oliver James Montgomerykeeping the Mexican Navy from approaching the capsized sailboat of a U.S. citizen who was reported missing on July 21, officials told ABC News Tuesday.

Donald Lawson, from Baltimore, Maryland, was piloting the sailboat, U.S. Coast Guard District 11 Petty Officer Hunter Schnabel told ABC News. He was headed from Acapulco, Mexico, to Panama on July 5.

Lawson called his spouse a few days into his journey and said he was having mechanical issues with the sailboat. He told his spouse he would head back to Acapulco, Schnabel said.

MORE: Human remains found in 3 separate suitcases in Florida, police say

A Mexican Navy speedboat patrols near a cargo ship leaving the port of Manzanillo, Mexico, Wednesday, July 19, 2023.Fernando Llano/AP

When his spouse did not hear from him for a few days, she contacted the Maryland Coast Guard on July 21, the official told ABC News.

Three vessels and a “persuader aircraft” were deployed, the Mexican Navy said, in the search and location operation. The boat was found capsized 275 miles from Acapulco. Weather conditions are impeding further search efforts.

MORE: US heat wave lingers in Southwest, intensifies in Midwest: Latest forecasty

Lawson had been on the journey hoping to set a speed record, sailing a trimaran around the world, Baltimore ABC affiliate WMAR reported. The professional ship captain recently docked in Acapulco for repairs.

More:reviews

Recommend

South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech

SEOUL, Dec 12 - South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's switch from contrition to defiance on Thursda

Earth’s Hottest Decade on Record Marked by Extreme Storms, Deadly Wildfires

Deadly heat waves, wildfires and widespread flooding punctuated a decade of climate extremes that, b

More ‘Green Bonds’ Needed to Fund the Clean Energy Revolution

A critical piece of the funding needed to transition to a low-carbon world—bond financing for climat