CHARLESTON, S.C. – Coast Guard crews suspended their search Thursday morning for an overdue boater missing since Monday.
Missing is Ronald Fowler, 36 from Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Fowler was last seen at noon, Monday.
A good Samaritan on a sailing vessel spotted Fowler’s 17-foot Mitzi skiff overturned 16-miles east of Charleston and alerted search and rescue controllers at Coast Guard Sector Charleston at approximately 1:30 p.m., Tuesday.
At approximately 2 p.m., an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew arrived on scene and identified that the boat belonged to Fowler.
A total of 15 search patterns were completed encompassing 7,324.5 Square Nautical Miles searched in 49-hours.
Assets involved in the search:
• MH-65 Dolphin helicopter rescue crew from Coast Guard Air Facility Charleston, S.C.
• 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Yellowfin
• HC-130 Hercules air crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, NC
• HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter rescue crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, NC
• Charleston County Sheriff Dept, Charleston SC
• Mt Pleasant Police Department, Charleston SC
If anyone has information, please contact the Coast Guard Sector Charleston Command Center at (843) 740-7050.
For more information on float plans and safe boating tips, please visit http://www.uscgboating.org/
