THE body of a missing German adventurer was found inside an abandoned yacht off the coast of Barobo in Suigao del Sur.
Two Filipino fishermen over the weekend discovered the body of 59-year-old Manfred Fritz Bajorat inside a 40-foot yacht called Sayo, which had been sailing around the world for the past two decades. Bajorat’s body, which was preserved in part to salty air, dry ocean winds and hot temperatures, was found sitting at a desk near a radio telephone.
It remains unclear how long Bajorat was dead, but reported sightings of him have not been mentioned since 2009. Cause of death and how long Bajorat was missing also remain a mystery.
Bajorat’s body was taken to Butuan City for an autopsy, which showed there was no foul play involved.
“The doctor believes that the man died of natural causes, and there is no evidence of foul play,” a spokesman from the Barobo police station told MailOnline.
Dr. Mark Benecke, a forensic criminologist in Cologne, Germany, told German newspaper Bild that the way Bajorat was sitting appears to indicate that his death was unexpected, and suggested it could have been from a heart attack.
The German embassy in Manila is working with local officials to find his daughter in Germany, according to the Daily Mail. Bajorat is believed to have a daughter who works as a captain on a freight vessel.
Police are also attempting to retrace Bajorat’s last voyages and the people with whom he last spoke. One person told Bild he last heard of Bajorat a year ago on Facebook for his birthday, the Daily Mail reported.
Most of the cabin was underwater, but paperwork on board was used to identify Bajorat. The Daily Mail reported that other items retrieved include photo albums of Bajorat’s family and friends, clothes, tins of food, and a letter he wrote to his wife, Claudia, who died of cancer in 2010.
Christopher Rivas, 23, a resident of P-$ Poblacion, was fishing with a friend about 40 miles off the coast when he saw the yacht with a broken sail. The pair then informed authorities of what they saw, according to news.au.com.
