VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Virginia Beach Fire Department divers recovered the body of a missing man at 10:28 a.m. Friday after the Coast Guard, Navy and the Virginia Beach fire and police departments worked together to find him near Rudee Inlet.
Bill Burkett, director of VBFD Maritime Incident Response Team, requested assistance from Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders with the search after he received notification from the boat’s owner who stated the man fell off the bow of his boat Friday morning north of the north jetty at Rudee Inlet. Coast Guard watchstanders then began to coordinate the multi-agency search and issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast about the man overboard.
A 45-foot rescue boat crew from Station Little Creek was launched to assist the search. An MH-60J Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Elizabeth City was conducting a training flight when they heard the broadcast and diverted to assist in the search.
Two boat crews and a helicopter crew from the VBPD were on scene, and two Navy Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22 MH-60S Sea Hawk crews assisted with the search.
