‘Boat never delivered’ - Families cling to hope as two men vanish at sea during ship sale expedition 

Two weeks after 71-year-old boat captain Reuben Bajjo and 22-year-old seaman Mikael Ricketts mysteriously vanished, allegedly at sea and while aboard the vessel M/V Black Pearl, distraught relatives say they remain desperate for answers and are clinging to hope that the men will be found alive.

Bajjo, of Henry Morgan Boulevard in Port Royal, Kingston, and Ricketts, of Morgan Boulevard in the same community, were reported missing after departing Jamaica on May 9 aboard the 42-foot vessel.

While initial maritime reports indicated that the vessel was headed to Miami, Ricketts’ relatives told The Gleaner on Sunday that they were later informed that the boat was actually being delivered to The Bahamas, after it was reportedly negotiated for sale in that Caribbean territory.

According to reports, the black-and-white 2012 Regal Marine Sport Coupe, fitted with twin Volvo diesel engines and bearing registration number JMP22130, left Kingston approximately 6 a.m. on May 9.

The last known communication from the vessel reportedly came about six hours later near the Morant Point Lighthouse in eastern Jamaica.

Since then, neither the men nor the boat have been seen or heard from.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) subsequently issued missing persons notices for both men, while, The Gleaner understands, an international maritime BOLO (Be On the Lookout) alert was also circulated in an effort to locate the vessel and its occupants.

Relatives say the silence since the men departed the island has been agonising.

“There’s no messages going through to them. We don’t even think they made it far past Jamaican waters,” one of Ricketts’ relatives told The Gleaner.

Another relative disclosed that the family was informed that searches had been conducted, but no trace of the men or the vessel was found.

“I heard the waters were rough the day they left out. But the Jamaican police claim they searched and couldn’t locate them or the boat, so they called off the search. We’re trying to get the story out there because maybe the neighbouring islands might see something,” the relative said.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) said the vessel was last heard from at midday on May 9, approximately 40 nautical miles northeast of Morant Point.

The JDF said the Jamaica Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) received the overdue report on May 13 and immediately activated a coordinated multi-agency response.

According to the military, air and maritime assets were deployed between May 13 and 18 to search eastern, northeastern and northern corridors within Jamaica’s Search and Rescue Region. 

The JDF also said an All-Stations Maritime Broadcast was issued to mariners requesting information, while coordination was carried out with international partners including the United States Coast Guard District Seven, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Cuba and Haiti for port checks, patrols and intelligence sharing.

“The search remains active and ongoing,” the JDF said, adding that its Maritime, Air and Cyber Command and JRCC Jamaica remain fully committed to locating the Black Pearl and ensuring the safe recovery of Bajjo and Ricketts. 

Yesterday the mother of Ricketts’ child, who said she was the last person to speak with him before he left Jamaica, emotionally recounted their final conversation. 

“The last time I spoke with him was Saturday, May 9, at 6:22 in the morning. We were on a video call until the man came and picked him up,” she told The Gleaner.

She said the trip would have been Ricketts’ first time making such a voyage.

“He had never done this trip before. It was actually his first time,” she said, adding that he told her he expected to regain phone connection by the following Wednesday.

She also recalled him jokingly telling her she would not see him for “one month”, before reassuring her that the delivery trip would not be very long.

As relatives continue searching for answers, they are now appealing directly to fishermen, mariners, and residents across Jamaica and neighbouring territories to remain alert for the missing vessel.

“We just want people to look out for this specific boat if they’ve seen it anywhere off the shoreline, anywhere off the shores of Jamaica. We just want the story to get out there because the boat is still missing. The boat still can’t be found. And the boat wasn’t delivered,” a relative said.

Family members described Bajjo as an experienced seaman, while Ricketts is viewed as ambitious and family-oriented.

Despite mounting fears, relatives insist they have not given up hope and are continuing to appeal for any information that could help bring the missing men home.

The military said every available national and international resource was being utilised in the search effort.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the Black Pearl or its crew is being urged to contact JRCC Jamaica or the JDF Maritime, Air and Cyber Command at 876-754-7067.

andre.williams@gleanerjm.com