BOSTON — Coast Guard rescue crews have suspended the search for a boy who was reportedly seen jumping into the water in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Saturday pending further developments.
After multiple crews searched an extensive area by sea and air with no sightings or correlating reports, the Coast Guard actively suspended the search at about 10 p.m. Saturday.
Initially, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Southeast New England were notified by the New Bedford Police Department that at about 6 p.m., a woman reportedly saw a young boy jump from the New Bedford pier into the water and then disappear.
A 47-foot motor life boat crew from Coast Guard Station Menemsha, a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, and the Coast Guard Cutter Hammerhead crew all canvased the area with no results.
“We always appreciate the public’s vigilance – and the reporting source did exactly the right thing by contacting us,” said Chief Petty Officer Michael Caianello, the command duty officer at Sector Southeast. “But with no reports of any missing people or additional sightings on the area, in this case, we believe it was a false alarm,” he said.