PORTSMOUTH, Va. – Coast Guard rescue crews continue searching for a missing New Jersey man who fell from a small sail boat near Mattawoman Creek, Va., last night.
Watch standers at Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads, Va., received notification at 8:20 p.m that Richard Best, 49, had fallen from a small catamaran in a storm with 4-6 foot seas and 23 mph winds.
A Coast Guard helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., the Coast Guard Cutter COCHITO, and crews from Coast Guard Station Cape Charles, Va., are currently searching the area.
Jean Franks, the other person aboard the vessel, reported that Best was not wearing a life jacket at the time he entered the water.
The Coast Guard urges all boaters to wear life vests at all times while on the water and to be attentive to weather forecasts.
Boaters in the area are requested to call Sector Hampton Roads, (757) 483-8567, if they have any information.
