PORTSMOUTH, Va. - The Coast Guard suspended its search for a missing 70-year-old fisherman who was reported overdue on Thursday after a body matching his description was found Saturday morning.
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission recovered the man's body at 9:15 a.m., the Coast Guard said.
Coast Guard Sector Virginia watchstanders received notification at 1:40 p.m. on Thursday that the fisherman had not returned from his scheduled fishing trip. Sector Virginia issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast and launched two response boat crews from Station Milford Haven, an 87-foot Patrol Boat crew, an MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew and a HC-130 Hercules aircrew from Air Station Elizabeth City, and coordinated the search efforts for seven other agencies.
Agencies involved in the search included:
- Naval Air Station Patuxent River
- Virginia Marine Resources Commission
- Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
- Port of Virginia Maritime Incident Response Team
- Abingdon Fire Department
- Gloucester Fire Department
- Poquoson Fire Department
- York County Police Department
The man’s boat was previously discovered unanchored and adrift with no one on board.
“We are thankful for the collaborative interagency relationships and for all of the responders who supported this search effort,” said Coast Guard Capt. Samson Stevens, Sector Virginia Commander. “Our thoughts and condolences are with the family throughout this unimaginably challenging time.”
