Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds, friends and family of Laura Zekoll are hoping the Atlanta woman lost at sea last weekend will sail again.
After all, it wouldn't be the first time Zekoll, 46, has overcome tremendous adversity.
At age 16, she severed her right arm in a motorcycle accident, eventually learning to use her reattached limb to play softball, fly airplanes, dance the Two Step and sail. She battled and won against alcohol addiction in her 20s, and has been sober for two decades. She founded a successful computer company in the mid-90s, which thrives today, and she was active in several charitable organizations.
"She said there is so much to do in this lifetime -- let’s do it," said Toni Ralston, Zekoll's friend and sailing partner. "I have learned so much about life and living from her."
Zekoll has been missing since Saturday night, when the boat she shared with three others capsized off Lynyard Cay in the Bahamas' Abacos Islands. Zekoll was sailing on a 45-foot craft, the Rule 62, with owners Richard and Debra Ross, of Georgia, and David Sheppard, of Maine. The four were among 65 boats participating in a rally sponsored by the Cruising Rally Association, which left Hampton, Va. on Nov. 8 en route to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.
Reports from the crews of other boats told of high seas and challenging conditions. "A friend of mine is on the boat "Special Delivery" ... From the emails his wife has forwarded they've had a pretty rough time with 50 knot winds and some 20 foot seas," wrote one participant in a discussion thread on www.sailnet.com dedicated to the Rule 62's fate.
Ross's crew diverted from the course and turned westerly toward the the Bahamas because Zekoll and Debra Ross were seasick, according to Julie Palm, a spokeswoman from the Cruising Rally Association.
Authorities are still investigating what caused the ship to capsize, but Palm said the boat hit a reef . According to the Cruising Rally Association, all four on board managed to get on a raft with life jackets on and tried to row to safety, but the life raft overturned in heavy swells.
The Rosses and Sheppard were separated from Zekoll and washed ashore. The three were airlifted to safety after the U.S. Coast Guard received their emergency signal, launching a search for Zekoll that the coast guard and the Royal Bahamian Defense Force authorities called off Tuesday morning.
"We’re all still numb. And I think we’re all still trying to be hopeful because [her death] hasn’t been confirmed," said Deana Hilton, of Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Atlanta, where Zekoll is a member. On Tuesday, friends gathered to pray for her at the Atlanta church.
Friends say Zekoll didn't know her crew-mates well, but had been selected by Richard Ross after they met and he learned of their mutual interest in sailing. She was known to embark on such adventures at least once a year and had sailed near Belize and the British Virgin Islands, friends said.
"This was her living her dream to take this trip," said Daniel Cohn, whose company partners with Zekoll's firm on business projects. "She has boundless energy."
Three years ago, Zekoll and friends Ralston and Meredith Jordan sailed from West Palm Beach to Grand Bahama Island, a 17-hour overnight trip. On the water, watching the sun set and rise, is where Zekoll felt the most free, Ralston said.
As they await word of their friend, those close to her are focusing on happy memories.
Ralston broke her arm a few years ago, and said Zekoll was quick to make her laugh about her misfortune.
"She looked at me and said, ‘Between the two of us we have two good arms,' " Ralston said. "She asked me, ‘Do you want to learn to tie a shoe with one hand?' ‘"
Zekoll was the founder and CEO of Advantage Computer Age Inc., an IT consulting and staffing firm whose clients include Home Depot, General Electric and Popeyes chicken.
She was active on behalf of various charities, including the American Cancer Society and the AIDS Survival Project. In 2008, Zekoll was among those who organized a hike on a North Georgia trail in honor of Meredith Emerson, an Atlanta woman killed by Gary Michael Hilton on Blood Mountain earlier that year.
Above all, friends described her as an avid outdoor enthusiast. She has hiked more than half of the Appalachian Trail, hikes Stone Mountain several times a week and participates in such groups as the Women's Outdoor Network and the Decatur Women's Sports League.
Anne Barr, who coached Zekoll in the softball league, said Zekoll excels at the sport despite her disability. Following her teenage injury, Zekoll never regained control of her right hand. Nevertheless, she played second base this year, catching the ball in her gloved left hand, then dropping the mitt and effortlessly throwing the ball with the same hand, Barr said.
"You wouldn’t know she was disabled unless you watched close," Barr said. "She was just as good as everybody else. She just had to work harder."
Barr said she and hundreds of Zekoll's friends are devastated by the news, but they're holding onto hope.
"If anyone was put in a situation to fight, she’d be the one to survive this thing," Barr said. "We’re praying our heads off. I believe in miracles."
- Staff writer Larry Hartstein contributed to this article.
