Coast Guard crews suspended its search off the North Carolina coast for a missing boater who hasn’t been seen since he left for a fishing trip over the weekend.
The search was suspended at 8:20 p.m. on Monday after crews spent nearly three days looking for 47-year-old Jeffrey Kale, Coast Guard officials say.
“...Anytime we conduct a search and rescue it is with the hope of bringing someone back home and safely reuniting them with their family and friends," said Cmdr. Corrie Sergent, Sector North Carolina deputy commander. "The decision to suspend a search is one of the most difficult decisions to make. Our thoughts are with the Kale family.”
During their search effort, crews covered over 7,762 miles, which is nearly the size of Massachusetts, officials say.
Kale was last seen leaving from the Southport Wildlife Boat Ramp in North Carolina around 4 p.m. on Saturday, according to officials. He was aboard a white 32-foot Cape Horn center-console boat, officials added.
Around 10:30 p.m., Kale’s family told watchstanders he hadn’t returned from the fishing trip, officials say.
A plane from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, a coastal patrol boat, response boats from Coast Guard Station Oak Island and Coast Guard Station Wrightsville Beach, and multiple good Samaritan boaters were involved in the search effort.
Anyone with information on Kale’s whereabouts is asked to call 910-343-3880.
Stay with News 3 for updates.
