PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The Coast Guard suspended the search again for a missing boater off the coast of North Carolina one day after reopening the search when a good Samaritan found a vessel matching the description of the boat the man was on.
Jeffrey Kale, 47, of Clover, S.C. had been reported missing and was last seen around 4 p.m. Saturday aboard a white, 32-foot Cape Horn center-console boat leaving the Southport Wildlife Boat Ramp.
The good Samaritan told the Coast Guard it had spotted a vessel matching the description of Kale’s, nearly 83 miles east of Wrightsville Beach, N.C, but crews said there was no sign of Kale.
Coast Guard Sector North Carolina watchstanders received a notification from Kale’s family stating he was overdue from a fishing trip around 10:30 p.m. Saturday. Crews began their search Sunday between Blackjack and Steeples, N.C.
According to the Coast Guard, crews searched for over 100 hours for Kale, searching by land, air and on the water before suspending their search for the second time.
“We offer our sincere condolences to the Kale family during this difficult time,” Sector North Carolina deputy commander Corrie Sergent said. “Saving lives at sea drives our rescue crews to train and operate every single day with the hope to bring people home safely, which is why making the decision to suspend a search is truly one of the hardest things for our personnel to make and we do not take it lightly. We are grateful to the various Navy assets, commercial assistance, and multiple good Samaritans who have also assisted in the search.”
The rescue crews involved in the search can be found below:
- Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City HC-130 Hercules airplane
- Coastal Patrol boat USCGC Steelhead (WPB 87324)
- U.S. Navy assets
- Multiple good Samaritan boaters
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
