SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The Coast Guard ended its search Monday for José Alberto Cintrón, the pilot aboard a Cessna 152 missing since Saturday.
Cintrón, 52, a resident of Manati, Puerto Rico, was found deceased at around 8 p.m. Monday by a good Samaritan near the mouth of the Rio Inabon River in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Cintrón was last heard from at approximately 11:45 p.m. Saturday just prior to taking off from the Mercedita Airport in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and heading to the Eugenio María de Hostos Airport in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
Coast Guard Sector San Juan Joint Rescue Sub Center controllers received a call at 5:41 a.m. Sunday from a friend of the missing pilot, who reported that Cintrón was expected to arrive in Mayaguez but never landed.
Coast Guard crews searched a total of 3,029 square miles during the 41 hour search for Cintrón.
Assisting with the search were:
- Three MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crews from Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
- Coast Guard Cutter Sapelo from San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Two Coast Guard Auxiliary aircraft crews
- Civil Air Patrol rescue crew
- Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces for Rapid Action
- Puerto Rico State Emergency Management rescue crews
