HOUSTON — Coast Guard air and boat crews are searching for two overdue boaters in the areas of Galveston Bay, Trinity Bay and East Bay, Tuesday.
Overdue are 51-year-old Michael Watkins, reportedly wearing dark blue shorts and a dark grey shirt, and Raymond Janik. They were last seen aboard a white and red 20-foot Larson boat with a blue top.
The family of the boaters notified the Galveston County Sheriff Office at approximately 9 a.m. Tuesday, after the men had not returned from fishing the day before. Sheriffs then notified Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders. The initial report stated that the boaters left the Bayshore Park boatramp at 7 a.m. Monday and were expected to return around 1 p.m. Monday.
Crews aboard Coast Guard Station Houston and Coast Guard Station Galveston 29-foot response boats and aircrews aboard a Coast Guard Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and a Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane have been searching since 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Galveston County Sheriffs located the truck and trailer at the boatramp Tuesday morning.
Anyone with information that can assist search crews is urged to call the Sector Houston-Galveston Command Center at 281-464-4854 or on the radio at VHF-FM channel 16.
