PORTSMOUTH, Virginia – The U.S. Coast Guard and its partner agencies are searching Chesapeake Bay for an elderly sailor who did not return from his early morning fishing trip on Thursday.
Watchers in the Virginia Coast Guard area received a call at 1:40 p.m. from the 70-year-old fisherman’s son, who said his father had left on a fishing trip from Ingram Bay at 8 a.m. and was not not come back.
The Virginia sector broadcast an urgent maritime information program and launched a crew from Coast Guard Station Milford Haven aboard a 45-foot-medium response boat and notified the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and the Department of Wildlife Resources.
Once there, the crew of Milford Haven station discovered the man’s boat without anchor and adrift with no one on board.
Watchstanders then launched an MH-60 Jayhawk crew and an HC-130 Hercules crew from Air Station Elizabeth City to assist with the search.
The search will continue overnight with the first light search.
The following agencies are involved in the research:
- Milford Haven Coast Guard Station
- Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City HC-130 aircraft and MH-60 helicopter
- Sailboat Coast Guard Cutter
- Virginia Marine Resources Commission Fixed-wing aircraft
- Department of Wildlife Resources
- Smith Point Rescue
- Abington Fire Department
- Gloucester Fire Department
- Poquoson Fire Department
Stay with News 3 for updates.
