Coast Guard 45-foot Response Boat-Medium file photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Corinne Zilnicki
ENGLEWOOD, Fla. — The Coast Guard continues to search Tuesday for a 50-year-old man 20 miles west of Stump Pass Beach State Park.
Missing is Todd Battaglino, from Venice.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg command center received a 911 relay at 1:20 p.m. Tuesday from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stating Battaglino was overdue. A family member stated Battaglino departed Monday at 5:30 p.m. from the Royal Palm Marina aboard his 18-foot fishing boat, and was last scene wearing a yellow fishing shirt and khaki shorts.
Watchstanders issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast, launched a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium (RB-M) boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Cortez, an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater and crew members aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Tarpon (WPB-87310), an 87-foot Coast Patrol Boat homeported in St. Petersburg.
The Hercules aircrew spotted Battaglino’s boat 16 miles west of Stump Pass Beach State Park at 6:02 p.m. and the RB-M boatcrew confirmed it was unmanned and adrift.
Search crews are saturating a 200 square mile area 20 miles west of Stump Pass Beach State Park in search of Battaglino. Partner agency personnel from Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, Charlotte County Sheriff Office, FWC and marine units from the Venice Police Department are assisting with the search.
