Trevor Moore: Olympic Sailor Missing, Empty Boat Found Off Miami Coast


Trevor Moore, an Olympic sailor, was reported missing on Thursday. Authorities in Miami, Florida, confirmed Moore’s 15-foot boat was discovered near the Dinner Key Marina on Thursday evening. Although the Olympian’s personal belongings were found inside the boat, his whereabouts remain unknown.

CBS Miami reports the sailor departed from the U.S. Sailing center at approximately 1 p.m. Thursday. A GPS device, which was attached to the boat, tracked the vessel’s location and speed.

As reported by CBS News, the boat appeared to go off course near Soldier Key, where it drifted in a “zigzag” pattern at a reduced speed. It eventually came to rest against some moorings off the Miami coast.

According to reports, Trevor Moore’s boat was found at approximately 5 p.m. on Thursday evening.

Moore’s fiancee, Libby Patton, confirmed the boat was found “still in gear” with his life jacket inside. According to reports, the sailor’s family positively identified the vessel as Moore’s personal boat.

Following the discovery of Trevor Moore’s empty boat, authorities organized a massive search and rescue operation.

In a combined effort, the Miami Dade Police Department, Miami Dade Fire-Rescue, Florida Fish and Wildlife, and National Park Service dispatched crews to Biscayne Bay to search for the missing sailor.

In 2012, Trevor Moore and teammate Eric Storck finished 15th in the London Olympics’ skiff event. Although the sailor expected to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics, he was sidelined by an injury.

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, U.S. Olympic sailing spokesman Will Ricketson said Moore was “very strong and athletic… one of the best athletes on [the] team, and one of the best sailors in the U.S.”

Coach Daniel Leira said Trevor Moore is an experienced sailor. However, he may not have been wearing a safety band.

“If you’re traveling at a high rate of speed, it’s very easy to fall off unless you have a safety band, you can easily fall off the boat and the boat can keep moving if you are not on board.”

Libby Patton said search and rescue teams have not located her fiancee. However, she is unwilling to give up hope.

“Right now we are searching the area and there is nothing that stands out… I can just tell you that Trevor did very well, has lots of knowledge of the water and can navigate like nobody else. But we need everyone out there who knows the water and I hope they can help search for him and hopefully bring him back today.”

Although Trevor Moore was a good sailor, authorities are concerned he was knocked off his boat. Without a life jacket, his chances of survival are greatly reduced.

[Image via Matthew Stockman/Getty Images]

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