Adventure-seeking B.C. couple confirmed as victims found on Nova Scotia island: relative

The British Columbia mates whose remains precocious washed ashore connected Nova Scotia’s distant Sable Island person been identified arsenic 70-year-old James Brett Clibbery and his 54-year-old wife, Sarah Packwood.

Clibbery’s sister, Lynda Spielman, said Tuesday nan RCMP had confirmed their identities.

Spielman, a Calgary resident, said she’s heard galore theories astir what happened to nan adventurous mates aft June 11 erstwhile they near Halifax harbour successful a 13-metre sailboat en way to nan Azores.

Spielman declined to estimate connected what went incorrect during what was intended to beryllium a 3,200-kilometre voyage to nan Portuguese archipelago, and nan Mounties person said they are still investigating.

On Monday, nan RCMP confirmed they had identified Clibbery’s assemblage pinch nan thief of nan province’s aesculapian examiner’s office, but they declined to merchandise his name, citing privateness legislation.

The Mounties antecedently confirmed nan couple’s sailboat, Theros, was reported missing connected June 18. But it wasn’t until July 10 — astir a period aft they group sail — that their bodies were recovered successful a three-metre inflatable vessel connected Sable Island, astir 280 kilometres southeast of Halifax.

The Theros has yet to beryllium found. A spokesperson for nan Transportation Safety Board of Canada, which investigates marine accidents, said nan agency is still gathering accusation astir nan boat’s disappearance.

Clibbery and Packwood, who lived connected B.C.’s Salt Spring Island, described themselves arsenic escapade travellers. They routinely posted specifications of their trips connected a YouTube transmission called “Theros Sailing Adventures.”

The transmission features videos showing sailing trips that widen from Canada’s westbound seashore to nan Panama Canal, and from Central America to nan Maritimes. The smiling brace tin often beryllium seen connected nan unfastened water aboard their two-masted GibSea yacht, which featured an electrical centrifugal powered by star panels.

“Yes they were rather a brace and will beryllium missed,” Spielman said successful an email “Theros Sailing Adventures really archive their lives almost from nan time they met. They will ever beryllium coming pinch their YouTube videos. Real characters.”

In a short video posted connected June 8, Packwood included images of nan sailboat astatine nan yacht nine successful Dartmouth, N.S., crossed nan harbour from Halifax, wherever she said nan mates were preparing for their “Green Odyssey” adventure.

“All being good and upwind permitting, nan skipper and I intend to group sail successful nan adjacent time aliases 2 for an water crossing,” Packwood’s connection says. “I will endeavour to archive our experiences on nan measurement and will beryllium capable to people videos erstwhile we scope land.”

The video shows nan exterior of nan sleek sailboat and concludes pinch nan message, “See you connected nan different side,” superimposed connected a partially cloudy sky.

On June 11, Clibbery posted a video connected Facebook showing him astatine nan helm of Theros arsenic nan vessel was astir 15 kilometres disconnected Nova Scotia’s southbound coast, heading to nan southeast astatine 5.5 knots.

“We’re sailing away,” Clibbery says, nan immense expanse of nan bluish North Atlantic successful nan background. “One large vessel down us, and that came retired from Halifax down us.”

Spielman said Packwood’s profession had focused connected alleviation activity successful Sudan, Kosovo, Macedonia, Africa, Asia and Latin America. As for her brother, she said Clibbery worked arsenic a locomotive technologist for Canadian Pacific Railway and retired astatine 55.

Clibbery and Packwood first met successful May 2015 astatine a autobus extremity successful London, wherever Clibbery was undergoing tests earlier donating a kidney to his sister Glory, who astatine that clip lived successful nan U.K.

Packwood, who was moving successful London astatine nan British Department for International Development, recalled her first belief of nan man. “I thought Brett was truthful handsome, for illustration Robert Redford,” she told nan London-based Guardian newspaper successful October 2020. “He was very absorbing and chatty.”

The brace discovered a shared passion for recreation and their narration blossomed. He projected to her successful nan outpouring of 2016 while she was visiting his location connected Salt Spring Island.

“He took maine connected my first ever yacht travel and I loved it,” Packwood said. “Brett projected to maine successful nan main compartment of nan boat.”

Their sailing adventures started nan pursuing year.

Clibbery told nan Guardian he was impressed by his wife’s resourcefulness. “She is an astonishing woman who ne'er lets thing get successful her way,” he said. “Not moreover months of oversea sickness erstwhile we went sailing.”

This study by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2024.

This is simply a corrected story. A erstwhile type incorrectly stated nan velocity of Theros arsenic nan vessel sailed from Nova Scotia.