CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – After a two-day effort, the Coast Guard has suspended its active search for a man who went into the water when his boat capsized 12 miles north of South Padre Island March 9.
Coast Guard crews searched an area larger than 600 square miles and conducted multiple shoreline searches. Oil rigs along the South Padre Island coast were also checked.
A watchstander from Coast Guard Station South Padre Island received a report at 2:40 p.m. March 10, that an individual swam to shore 12 miles north of South Padre Island after his boat overturned. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol interviewed the survivor, who stated that two other individuals were on the boat when it overturned.
A Coast Guard HU-25 Falcon jet, an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Corpus Christi and a 33-foot response boat from Station South Padre Island were launched to search for the two remaining crewmembers.
The rescue helicopter crew was able to locate one crewmember clinging to the boat, but crews were unable to locate the third man.
Coast Guard crews involved in the search:
- 3 HH-65C Dolphin helicopter crews
- 2 HU-25 Falcon jet crews
- the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Amberjack
- rescue boat crews from Station South Padre Island.
