BOSTON – The Coast Guard suspended a search about 11:28 a.m. today in the Cape Cod area for the source of three flares reported Friday night.
A Barnstable, Mass., marina employee notified Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England about 9:24 p.m. Friday that he saw one red flare, suspected to originate from Cape Cod Bay.
A 41-foot utility boat from Coast Guard Station Cape Cod Canal, Mass., launched and began searching Cape Cod Bay about 9:58 p.m. Additionally, an HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod searched the area.
While the Jayhawk crew was searching Cape Cod Bay, Sector Southeastern New England received a second notification of flares. About 11:08 p.m. the motor vessel Suez Matthew, which was transiting Southeast of Chatham, Mass., reported one red and one orange flare, suspected to originate from the Nauset Mass., area.
After the aircrew completed their search pattern in Cape Cod Bay, they diverted to the Nauset area and began searching about 11:45 p.m. for the source of the second set of flares.
Throughout the night Sector Southeastern New England made urgent marine broadcasts to notify boaters in both areas of the flares and to advise them to contact the Coast Guard if they spotted anything.
The aircrew departed the search areas about 1 a.m. today, and the 41-footer from Station Cape Cod Canal left Cape Cod Bay about 1:30 a.m. today.
An HU-25 Falcon jet from Air Station Cape Cod began searching again at sunrise this morning. None of the searches have located any signs of a vessel in distress.
