There's a synonym for "yola" I certainly wasn't aware of: YACHT!

Three Dominicans and 2 foreigners = 4 people? Can anyone here add up?

I wonder what they were FISHING for?

Good question. Must have been something worthwhile. Not really the weather at the moment for a pleasure trip

maybe square grouper

I've grown very skeptical of stories of this type.

I am sitting on the fence on this one until further developments. Make-Up of missing individuals is intriguing indeed. Were they friends? Was boat owner aboard? Story says fishing; question is, for what?

I am sure we shall soon find out more about it; hope they didn't program GPS incorrectly and wound up in Cuba, harvesting sugar cane or waxing Raul's limousine.

MJEV.

I want to go sport fishing next time I go down there, but I'm thinking it might be too expensive, or dangerous , as in this case.

the brown noser abc is on the car polishing team for Cuba in the next socialist Olympics

"maybe square grouper"

That's a classic Banistan!

I find these comments inappropriate. The family of these dominicans have been suffering quite a lot for the past 16 hours. In fact, the owner of the boat was there, and they were in fact out on a pleasure trip with the owner of the boat's business partner, the American. In fact, it was a yacht, not a Yola, as some have pointed out. The situation is not "fishy" and they are not Make-up disappearances. True, the times were not for going out fishing, but who would have assumed that an innocent pleasure trip would turn out into this disaster. Instead of skepticism and a disrespectful attitude, pray for these individuals, for their family members, and specifically for their 3 young daughters, neither of them more than 6 years old.

FYI

http://www.noticiassin.com/www/?g....y_article&tid=4&aid=12053

Perhaps the kidnappers of D'Arcy Wright (Canadian in Sosua) got these people as well. This story sounds fishy (no pun), A 23' boat with twin outboards just doest disappear without a distress radio call (Mayday). Could it have been a hijacking at sea or did they come across something they should not have?

maybe black or red groupers.
im a captain {fishing deep sea}.... 4 years in the united states navy also.

in the states u need to pass a coast guard course and a very riged test to get your captains license.....
any one can drive one boat in the dr.
no rules, no one to check boats for safety on board the vessel and it goes on and on..... i dont have the time now........ more to be one CAPTAIN then just putting the motor on and going.....
why do u think so many are dead trying to cross the mona passage?
captain my ass. see the way they drive cars dont u?... the ocean is no joke u better know what your doing before u set sail

A serious thing happened and several people find it funny to make inappropriate comments.

Is this the sense of humor these people have...

Please people take or find a life... And for sure, reactions will come now!!!

i would like to clarify a fue things.robert skaates is a us coast gaurd licenced captain.he has been for over 30 years.the boat he was on was not his boat.he has lived in the dr for more then 15 years.he knowes the waters well.some of you who made coments hear should be ashamed.4 people missing and u think it is a joke. my name is aaron skaates and robert is my uncle whom i care abought a great deal.

One does not need a captain's license to operate a pleasure boat in the US or in he DR.
But, yes , open water is dangerous.
Sadly accidents happen all the time wether its in the US or somewhere else.
Nothing funny or strange about that.

Skaates2000, your family is in our thoughts.

Stay safe

The Weekend Warriors forgot to put the plug in the transom of the little boat.




It sank, Davie Jones make some more room!

No kidding around, for them not to call for help my guess is that there was probably a fire onboard. Most non veteran boaters will automatically panic at the site of fire when you have no place to escape it.

Harleyman, you are probably correct in your comment. Although, they should find some floating objects in the aftermath that would prove the "fire theory". Could it be that they were ambushed/hijacked at sea by someone who wanted their vessel or one of the persons on the vessel. The only thing found thus far, has been a cooler of some sort (identified by family members). If Skaates was an experienced boat captain, as stated above in a previous post, he would have been able to leave some identifiable traces, don't you think?

Robert Skaates is my uncle as well. He is a very experienced boat captain. If you are following the reports you would know that they have found two bodies as well as personal items from the yacht and family members were told that neither body was Uncle Rob. They also were told that two "swimmers" were seen in the water just before dark. We have heard no other news since then here in the states. I would ask that everyone pray for survivors and stop making crude jokes about a very sad and serious situation. This is not the time or the forum for such remarks!

GarrettSkaates,

Deeply sorry for your lose. Sadly, some folks, in their mad rush to get the first comment in, rushed to judgment and displayed their utter lack of concern. I hope you, your family, and friends the best in these challenging times.

thank u! has anyone heard any news yet i've been looking all over the web all night and morning please if anyone knows more i would be very grateful thank u

Search launched for 4 people missing after fishing trip in Dominican Republic
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (CP) – 1 day ago
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for four people, including two U.S. citizens, who went missing on a fishing trip off the Dominican Republic's southern coast.
The Coast Guard says Robert Wayne and Laura Ricart left Boca Chica with Spaniard Javier Jorge and Dominican Plinio Jacobo, aboard a 24-foot (7-meter) boat.
Coast Guard spokesman Ricardo Castrodad says Dominican authorities are helping with the search.
He said Saturday that the group left Thursday morning and was expected back the same afternoon.
Castrodad says Wayne is from Florida, although his hometown is unknown. Ricart is a U.S. citizen born in the Dominican Republic and is married to Jacobo.
Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

p

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Dominican authorities recovered two bodies from the Caribbean Sea during a massive search for four boaters, including two Americans and a Spaniard, who have been missing for three days.
Navy spokesman Juan Bienvenido Crisostomo told reporters Sunday that the bodies were found about 11 miles (17 kilometres) off the southern beach town of Guayacanes.
The missing boaters have been identified as Robert Wayne of Florida; Laura Ricart, a Dominican-born U.S. citizen; her husband, Dominican Plinio Jacobo; and Spaniard Javier Jorge. Wayne's hometown is not known.
Later Sunday, Crisostomo said the two bodies plucked from the sea were Ricart and Jorge. It was not immediately clear how officials identified the bodies.
The four boaters departed the Boca Chica Yacht Club on a sport fishing expedition Thursday evening.
Officials launched rescue efforts late that night after receiving a distress saying the vessel was taking on water. There has been no sign of t

The four boaters departed the Boca Chica Yacht Club on a sport fishing expedition Thursday evening.

Officials launched rescue efforts late that night after receiving a distress saying the vessel was

taking on water. There has been no sign of the 24-foot (7-meter) craft since.

The U.S. Coast Guard has been assisting with the search.

thank u please keep me informed! i am very sorry to hear about the loss!

To Skaates family, the missing boaters are in our thoughts and prayers. My understanding is that the boat was brand new and was only taken out a few times for shake-down runs, but never in the open water before. I also understand Cap Rob was hired to teach the new owners how to operate the vessel and fish. I think the boat was manufactured in the DR and I am not sure what sort of certificates the boat may or may not had. This information came from the DR1 forums. Obviously, somehow the boat had problems and this turned tragic.

any body in the D.R. seen the news yet?

Garrett. There is no update to earlier story. Maybe there will be some new information later today.

some one wrote me and said the woman and man they found was bound and didn't have water in there lungs any one heard that?

Yes. I read that that was what was coming across from a local news station there. I have only read it from one person's post on another board (DR1) and there has been no confirmation from anyone else on that board.

what was this local news station?

It had to be out of Santo Domingo I would think. The poster wasn't specific.

another poster was:

http://www.hoy.com.do/el-pais/201....averes-del-espanol-y-Laura-Ricart

you have my deepest condolences

more sources:

http://www.elnacional.com.do/naci....averes-de-dos-de-cuatro-naufragos

http://www.listin.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=127729

http://www.hoy.com.do/el-pais/201....averes-del-espanol-y-Laura-Ricart

If you read the article, you could surmise that probably Laura and the Spaniard tied themselves together with a shoelace. There is no mention of the cause of death that I can tell. There is mention of a distress call about a vessel taking on water. Does not appear to be foul play. Hope this helps.

thank u!

anything yet?

if the dominican coast guard was notified then they probably took their sweet time waking up eating some rice and beans, watching a baseball game before remembering why they woke up.