The Coast Guard Wednesday night again suspended its active search for a missing boater off the coast of North Carolina.
Jeffery Kale of Clover, South Carolina departed from the Southport Wildlife Boat Ramp Saturday afternoon and officials with Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic say his family reported him overdue late that night.
After Coast Guard crews searched for about 72 hours and covered nearly 8,000 square miles, the initial search was called off.
When Kale’s boat was found with no one aboard, the Coast Guard resumed searching for Kale. The total search grid included more than 11,600 miles, which officials say is an area greater than the size of Maryland, including Coast Guard and U.S. Navy crews and private boaters.
“We offer our sincere condolences to the Kale family during this difficult time,” said Cmdr. Corrie Sergent, Sector North Carolina deputy commander. “Saving lives at sea drives our rescue crews to train and operate every single day with the hope to bring people home safely, which is why making the decision to suspend a search is truly one of the hardest things for our personnel to make and we do not take it lightly. We are grateful to the various Navy assets, commercial assistance, and multiple good Samaritans who have also assisted in the search.”
Coast Guard Sector North Carolina officials say the boat had fishing gear engaged and was moving northeast at nearly 6 miles per hour when it was found. There was no one aboard and no visible damage to the vessel.
