PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Virginia is searching for a missing man.
Crews from Station Portsmouth and Air Station Elizabeth City are searching for Derrick L. Fluellen, a missing contractor from Portsmouth Marine Terminal, according to a Facebook post. The port authority notified the Coast Guard at about 4 p.m. that Fluellen was last seen while working on the M/V Atlantic Oceanic at the PMT shipyard.
After a thorough search of the ship and a wellness check at his home, Fluellen was not located.
The search has included sonar, a USCG HH60 helicopter, a USCG 29-foot response boat, and remotely operated vehicles. The Port Authority Police Department, Portsmouth Marine Police Department, Norfolk Police Department and Chesapeake Emergency Services have joined in the search.
Authorities are interviewing coworkers, analyzing cell phone data, and searching the facility. Searches will resume in the morning.
Anyone with information about Fluellen’s whereabouts is urged to call Sector Virginia Command Center at 757-638-6637.