German father, son found dead after sailing through storm in Spain

OVIEDO, Spain

Spanish police confirmed on Monday that the bodies they had found floating off Majorca belonged to a German father and son who went missing after they were sailing and got caught in a storm.

Spanish daily El Mundo reported that they were Jan Bokemeyer, 53, a former basketball player who used to play in the German Bundesliga, and his son Gustav.

On Aug. 27, they set off for sail early in the morning, aiming to travel from the Spanish island of Menorca to Majorca. But their voyage coincided with a strong storm system that battered the region.

Spanish police say they found their bodies around one week later in two different spots off the Majorcan coast. They collaborated with German authorities to identify the bodies and perform DNA testing.

This was to be Bokemeyer’s last voyage with his ship, as he had plans to sell it after, according to El Mundo. He had been sailing it for more than two decades.

Late August and early September have been marked by powerful storms in Spain. At least eight others have died in flash floods, while two Argentines are still missing after venturing out on their paddle boards.