BOSTON — The Coast Guard has suspended its search for a possible woman missing in the vicinity of the Essex River, Monday.
After a 10-hour search, which covered 44 square miles but yielded no sightings, additional reports, or correlating info, the search was called off at approximately 9 p.m.
Coast Guard assets involved in the search were:
– two MH-60 Jayhawks from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod
– 29-foot response boat from Coast Guard Station Gloucester
– 29-foot response boat from Coast Guard Station Merrimack River
Other government agencies involved were the Essex Harbor Master, Gloucester Harbor Master, the Marine Environmental Police, the Gloucester Police Department, the Ipswich Police, and Park River Wildlife.
Initially, Coast Guard Sector Boston watchstanders received a report of a swamped boat at about 11 a.m. The source thought they saw the same boat earlier with one woman aboard traveling toward the mouth of the river. When the good Sam located the boat later, it was overturned with no one aboard. After contacting the Coast Guard, the good Sam towed the boat to a nearby mooring ball where it was later retrieved by its owner. It was reported that owner had not authorized anyone to operate the boat and has since contacted local police where the case is under investigation.
