Editor’s Note: The missing man’s age was earlier reported to the Coast Guard as 35. The missing man is 50 years old.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coast Guard suspended its search at 7:55 a.m. Sunday for a man and teenager who were reported overdue near Port Lavaca, Texas, Saturday.
Coast Guard crews searched approximately 77 square miles for over 21 combined hours.
Sector Corpus Christi watchstanders received a call at 11:20 a.m. Saturday from the wife of the owner of the 40-foot shrimping vessel My Possum reporting a 50-year-old man and his 15-year-old son were overdue. The man, a deckhand aboard the My Possum, and his son had departed at 5 a.m. to shrimp off Magnolia Beach and were due to return around 10:30 a.m.
Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and directed the launch of an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi and a 29-foot Response Boat-Small from Coast Guard Station Port O’Connor.
A fire boat crew with Calhoun County arrived on scene and reported a capsized vessel matching the description of the My Possum in the Matagorda Ship Channel off Magnolia Beach.
“Whenever we send our rescue crews out, it is with the ardent hope we can bring everyone home safely,” said Homar Barrera, search and rescue mission coordinator, Sector Corpus Christi. “Unfortunately, after considering all pertinent factors, we made the difficult decision to suspend our search today.”
Involved in the search:
- Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi
- Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi
- Calhoun County
- Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
- Texas Department of Public Safety
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