PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard suspended its active search for a missing boater Wednesday at 8:15 p.m. off the coast of North Carolina.
Missing is Jeffrey Kale, 47, from Clover, South Carolina.
Rescue crews searched by air and by sea for approximately 100 combined hours since the initial report and covered more than 11,690 square miles, which is an area greater than the size of Maryland.
After Kale’s boat was located on Tuesday morning with no one aboard, the Coast Guard resumed searching for Kale. He had been reported missing Saturday at approximately 10:30 p.m.
“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.”
Rescue crews involved in the search:
- Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City HC-130 Hercules airplane
- Coastal patrol boat USCGC Steelhead (WPB 87324)
- U.S. Navy assets
- Multiple good Samaritan boaters
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