American Sailor Missing After His Boat Is Found Abandoned on Remote Beach

An American man is missing after his boat was found abandoned on a remote beach in Australia.

Hartwell Champagne had been traveling solo from Vanuatu to Australia before his Ocean Rambler washed up on Cape Bedford Beach on Saturday, Sept. 13, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Champagne began his solo trip to Australia from Vanuatu on Sept. 3, the outlet reported.

The last entry made into the boat’s logbook was on Sept. 10, authorities confirmed.

“Police are appealing for information after a sailing boat was located beached near Cape Bedford on Sunday, 14 September,” Queensland Police wrote in a statement. “The 14-meter sailing vessel, “Ocean Rambler” was observed, having run aground, around 11.30pm on Saturday.”

“Police conducted a search of the area around 8am on Sunday however no one was located,” officials continued. “Investigations indicate, the boat was sailing from Vanuatu to Australia and the sole occupant, a 62-year-old American man, has last made records on 10 September.”

Acting Detective Inspector Cindy Searle told ABC that authorities were working on trying to piece together the boat’s movements from when Champagne made his last entry into the logbook to when it was spotted late Saturday night.

Officials have also been in contact with his family in Texas who confirmed “they were expecting him to reach land in Australia and they were not aware there were any issues.”

Inspector Searle said the family had also been in contact with Champagne during the trip, “as much as you can when you’re travelling on the open ocean.”

“There was an indication that he was to arrive in Cairns,” Searle continued. “However, we are just taking that as it comes through the investigation.”

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Champagne is said to be an experienced sailor and was named the Gig Harbor Marina and Boatyard in Washington’s yard manager in 2018, according to ABC.

“Any of the theories people could come up with at this point would be almost quite reasonable, so I wouldn’t be willing to suggest [there was] bad weather or [he was] near the shore,” Inspector Searle told ABC.

The weather when the sailor went missing were close to normal, according to Sky News Australia’s Senior Meteorologist Rob Sharpe.

“We don’t really know what’s happened between the 10th of September and the 13th of September,” Searle continued, per ABC.

“Our main priority at this point in time is appealing to anybody who may have been on the ocean or seen the vessel,” she concluded.

Authorities have also been told to not search the water due to the area being “too large,” Searle said, per the outlet.

Police are hoping electronic devices found onboard the vessel will help trace Champagne’s movements.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Queensland Police.