Australian Sailor Feared Lost in Mysterious Mozambique Channel Tragedy
An unsettling story has been unfolding off the east coast of Africa, where a seasoned Australian sailor, 67-year-old Deirdre “Cookie” Sibly from Port Lincoln, is feared to have died while sailing through the Mozambique Channel. Right now, authorities, family members, and international agencies are all trying to piece together exactly what happened during what was meant to be another adventure at sea for someone who had spent four decades on the water.
Sibly had set out in June from Réunion Island, traveling with her friend and fellow sailor, French national Pascal Mahe. Their plan was straightforward: sail southward toward South Africa, head to Durban, and if conditions allowed, continue to Cape Town so Sibly could eventually fly back home. Both were described as highly experienced sailors, people who understood the risks of the open ocean but embraced them because sailing was their passion.
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Everything changed on Wednesday evening when a distress call was transmitted from their yacht, the Acteon, somewhere in the vast stretch between Madagascar and Mozambique. The call was picked up by a nearby container ship, which immediately alerted French authorities. But even though multiple vessels responded — including cargo ships and a maxi yacht — none of them were initially able to board the Acteon. The yacht was still under full sail, drifting silently, with no radio replies and no signs of movement on deck.
Throughout Thursday, Sibly’s family, alerted by the French coastguard, tracked the responding ships online as they shadowed the drifting yacht. Attempts were made to make contact, but every effort was met with silence. Eventually, sailors from the maxi yacht managed to board the vessel on Friday. What they found confirmed the family’s worst fears: two people were discovered deceased on board. Although the bodies have not yet been formally identified, Sibly’s sister, Sue Good, was told that the victims were a man and a woman, and she believes they were her sister and Mahe.
As of Monday, the Acteon was reportedly still drifting under sail, being tracked by satellite while officials from South Africa, Mauritius, and France work together to investigate. The process of identification and repatriation is expected to be slow, and Sibly’s family may need to travel to Africa as part of the formal identification procedure.
Good described her sister as a free spirit — someone kind, adventurous, and happiest when surrounded by the sea. She last heard from Sibly on 19 November, just before the pair set off on what was expected to be a two-week leg of their journey. Even knowing the risks, Sibly embraced the voyage with excitement.
Now, as the investigation continues, her family waits for answers — hoping for clarity, grieving deeply, and holding on to the memory of someone who truly lived her life on the waves.
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