A veteran veterinarian and former professional basketball player from Germany, Jan Bokemeyer, now 50, along with his 19-year-old son Gustav, had quietly mapped out a poignant farewell for their sailboat, Makan Angin, before deciding to put it on the market. The plan was simple and personal, born from years of shared voyages on a family boat and a long-held dream to move forward with a new vessel instead.
Jan Bokemeyer stepped away from professional basketball after earning a veterinary degree and opening a clinic. His true passion shifted toward the sea, where he found a different kind of focus and freedom. What began as a swift, almost impulsive sailing trip grew into a dramatic chapter. The voyage started from Cala d’Or, with their boat anchored at Cala Galdana on a Saturday and a return scheduled for Sunday. The course was straightforward, but the sea held a capricious mood that would soon alter everything. A sudden storm swept through the Minorcan canal, catching the crew by surprise as they navigated the open water. In that moment, the decision to jump into the sea while weather turned hostile seemed reckless to some observers, yet it mirrored the captain’s instinct built over years of navigating unpredictable tides. After four days of tireless searching and persistent use of tracking devices, news grew increasingly scarce, casting a shadow of doubt and worry over everyone involved.
wave goodbye
Local reports cited Stefan Böcher, the head of the boat rental company, as the last person to see Jan Bokemeyer and his son before they departed from Cala d’Or. Böcher stated that the last contact occurred in Mallorca, and that the absence of the sailors on the following day led many to assume they had chosen to ride out the bad weather elsewhere. An experienced mariner, Böcher admitted that it was hard to picture the two at sea under such conditions, and his account became a sober reminder of how quickly a routine voyage can become a test of endurance.
The fate of Makan Angin, a name chosen to evoke the Indonesian wind, was to be settled with a transfer to Barcelona to complete a change of ownership. The plan had been to deliver the boat to its new owner in the Catalan capital, marking the end of one era and the hopeful beginning of another with a different vessel ready for new journeys.
That emotionally charged farewell to the sailboat was suddenly interrupted by the ferocity of the storm. The little craft vanished from sight as the weather intensified, leaving a community to hold its breath. Yet even as days stretched into an arduous search, a thread of possibility remained. People hoped that father and son might still be found alive, clinging to a chance that nature would release her grip and reveal them safe and sound. The situation resonated far beyond the marina, stirring discussions about sea safety, preparation, and the unpredictable nature of offshore sailing. In the weeks that followed, authorities and rescuers continued to monitor every lead, every signal, and every hopeful clue, all while mulling over the lessons this voyage offered about courage, family, and the relentless pull of the sea.