Ordeal halts SA couple YouTube sensations Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu’s world voyage

SA YouTube sensations and adventurers, Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu, have been forced to halt their round-the-world journey after a mystery ordeal.

SA-born Riley Whitelum with partner Elayna Carausu with son Lenny. Picture: Instagram

YouTube sensations Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu, who have been sailing around the world for 10 years, have “indefinitely” paused their journey after a mysterious accident at sea.

The couple from Cowell, South Australia, and Geraldton, WA, respectively, told their 379,000 Facebook followers their catamaran La Vagabonde was struck while they and their two children were asleep on board, off Japan’s Okinoshima Island.

“We recently experienced the most harrowing ordeal of our lives,” Mr Whitelum wrote.

Elayna Carausu and Riley Whitelum on their vessel La Vagabonde. Picture: Supplied

The couple on one of their tropical pitstops. Picture: Supplied

“Whilst my family and I were sleeping our boat was struck in an accident that has left us shaken and deeply impacted.

“We are immensely grateful for the messages of support and understanding from everyone during this time.”

He said no one was physically harmed, but damage to the boat was “extensive” and their “sailing journey has been interrupted indefinitely”.

Mr Whitelum also said that a Japanese Yahoo News article about what unfolded contained “inaccuracies” and asked their fans for “understanding as we address these discrepancies and manage the legal complexities involved”.

The couple had no previous sailing experience before setting off in 2014 and their YouTube channel documenting the voyage has drawn 1.93m subscribers to date.

They made headlines in 2019 for giving a lift to climate change campaigner Greta Thunberg on her journey to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Spain.

Joined in recent years by their children Lenny, 5, and Darwin, 2, they claim to have faced “financial disasters, life threatening storms, pirates scares, equipment and communication breakdown”, according to their website.

The Advertiser attempted to contact Mr Whitelum and Ms Carausu for further comment.

Originally published as Ordeal halts SA couple YouTube sensations Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu’s world voyage