Coast Guard searching for missing boater near Oregon Inlet, NC

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard is searching for a man who fell overboard after the boat he was on was rocked by a wave at approximately 8 a.m. Saturday in vicinity of the Oregon Inlet, N.C.

At 8:15 watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Carolina received notification that there was one person missing after falling overboard.

The crew stated that after transiting out of Oregon Inlet, they realized the sea state was too rough and decided to turn around. As they tried to return through the inlet three of the four crewmembers were ejected from the boat when it was struck by a swell. The boat’s operator was able to recover two but the third was unresponsive.

The crew lost sight of the 28-year-old male while trying to recover him. The crew also reported that the missing boater was not wearing a personal floatation device.

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City and two Coast Guard 47-foot Motor Life Boat crews from Coast Guard Station Oregon Inlet were dispatched to search for the man.

Ocean Rescue crews from Nags Head and Cape Hatteras, N.C. are assisting in the search as well as crewmembers of the Chicamacomico Fire Department.