ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — The U.S. Coast Guard said on Friday night that it has suspended its search for a missing boater near Currituck Sound.
The Coast Guard received a call that the 61-year-old man launched Friday morning in windy conditions. He was on a 12-foot flat-bottom boat and last was seen wearing blue shorts and a blue shirt.
Members of the Currituck County Sheriff's Office located his boat and life jacket, but they had not found the boater by early afternoon.
An MH-60 Jayhawk Helicopter aircrew and a 29-foot response boat were dispatched to look for him.
The Coast Guard and partner agencies searched 28 square miles for approximately 12 hours before suspending their search.
Crews from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, Currituck County Sheriff's Office, the North Carolina Wildlife, North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, and Corolla Beach Rescue were part of the search.