USCG FIle Photo
OCEAN CITY, N.J. —The Coast Guard has closed the search for a missing kite surfer near Ocean City, New Jersey, after the missing individual called and reported themselves to be safe, Friday morning.
Coast Guard Station Atlantic City watchstanders received a call from 911, notifying them of a kite surfer reportedly wearing all black, seen drifting out to sea after falling off a kiteboard approximately 500-yards off Corson Inlet, at around 3:20 p.m., Thursday evening.
At approximately 10 p.m. this morning, the missing kite surfer contacted Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay watchstanders to inform them that after his kite malfunctioned, he had cut it free and used the board to paddle ashore and return home.
Involved in the search were:
- Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew
- Coast Guard Station Atlantic City 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew
- Coast Guard Station Cape May 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew
- Ocean City Police Department members
- New Jersey State Police helicopter aircrew
Coast Guard members searched an area covering approximately 550 square miles over a period of 16 hours.
“This case highlights the effectiveness of the interagency search and rescue system,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Alex Castonguay, a watchstander at the Sector Delaware Bay command center. “Cases like this also illustrate the importance of labeling your kayaks, canoes, kite boards and other recreational marine vehicles, so that in the event they are lost, or you are missing, we can reach out to contact you or return it.”
