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Aussie sailor Deirdre “Cookie” Sibly and her companion have died in mysterious circumstances on her yacht off the coast of South Africa.
Ms. Sibly and her French friend Pascal were sailing near Madagascar when they issued a distress signal on Thursday – but when local authorities reached the yacht, they found the pair dead on board.
Both of them were seasoned sailors.
The 67-year-old Port Lincoln woman’s family are now waiting for answers and fears pirates may have been involved.
“She was a very adventurous, outdoor soul. Her whole life revolved around the sea and yachts,” Ms. Sibly’s sister Sue Good told 9News.
The pair had met up on Reunion Island in June and were sailing down the Mozambique Channel, heading for Durban, where Deirdre was planning to fly home.
“They’ve been on the adventure of a lifetime and she was having the time of her life,” Ms. Good said.
“We only know that they were found deceased on the yacht – we don’t know anything about how that happened.”
“How could this happen to two happy people doing what they loved?”
Speaking to 9News, Ms. Good added the Mozambique Channel “isn’t a very safe place in the world to be sailing” and Ms. Sibly “knew that.”
On Friday, the yacht remained adrift as authorities made plans to retrieve it.
A friend posted a tribute to social media describing Ms. Sibly as the “ultimate adventurer” who “never let the grass grow under her feet.”
“She took all life had to offer and ran toward every opportunity with unbridled energy, joy and enthusiasm to explore, to learn and most importantly, to have fun,” the friend wrote.
“The most excellent bonus mom, passionate teacher, ocean advocate and seasoned sailor. I loved every second I spent with her.”
Others remembered Ms. Sibly as “the best aquatic teacher” and an “incredible person.”
