Coast Guard suspends search for possible person in the water near Cape Elizabeth, Maine

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter

Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter file photo

BOSTON — The Coast Guard suspended its search for Richard Pratt, a missing 80-year-old sailor, Friday at 1:48 p.m. pending any further developments.

At around 6:15 p.m. Thursday, Coast Guard watchstanders were notified of an unmanned sailboat belonging to Pratt, which had run aground near Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The 33-foot sailboat had sails up, but no one was aboard when it was found.

The search covered a total 304 square nautical miles from Cape Elizabeth south to Boon Island with the heaviest saturation of searching occurring in the area of Saco Bay and Boon Island over the course of 17 total asset search hours.

The search included the following Coast Guard assets:

  • An HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod
  • An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod
  • A 47-foot Motor Lifeboat from Coast Guard Station South Portland
  • A 47-foot Motor Lifeboat from Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor
  • Coast Guard Cutter Amberjack, an 87-foot Coastal Patrol Boat homported in Jonesport

Other agencies that searched include: Maine Marine Patrol, Cape Elizabeth Water Extraction Team, Scarborough Fire Department, Saco Fire Department, Ogunquit Fire Department, Wells Harbormaster, York Harbormaster, Portland Harbormaster, Kennebunk Harbormaster, and a Forrest Ranger helicopter.


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