BAYPORT, Fla. – The Coast Guard is continuing to search for Lindsay Forde, 48, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., who was reported missing Saturday from the 46-foot pleasure craft Extra Labor, about 75-miles west of Bayport, Fla.
The Coast Guard received a call at 6:37 p.m. Saturday from the vessel owner, Michael Swindle, 56, of Tampa, Fla., reporting that Forde, the captain of the vessel, was missing. According to Swindle, Swindle had gone below deck and when he went topside again Forde had disappeared.
According to his report, Swindle, an inexperienced boater, had purchased the Extra Labor and hired Forde to pilot the vessel from Houston, Texas, to St. Petersburg, Fla. The men were en route from Pensacola, Fla., to St. Petersburg when Forde was reported missing.
The Coast Guard has been searching the vicinity for Forde since 7:25 p.m. Saturday. Currently, a Falcon search plane from Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Ala., a C-130 search plane from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla., and the Coast Guard Cutter Coho, homeported in Panama City, Fla., are searching the area for Forde.
The Coast Guard Cutter Hawk, homeported in St. Petersburg, Fla., escorted Swindle and Extra Labor to Crystal River, Fla.
The sea conditions in the vicinity of the search area are six- to eight-foot seas, 27-knot winds, scattered thunder storms and the water temperature was 87 degrees.
Forde is reported to have not been wearing a lifejacket.
