Coast Guard suspends search for missing seaman off Cape Hatteras
The U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search Wednesday night for a missing man who reportedly fell overboard from a merchant vessel approximately 50 miles east of Cape Hatteras.
The master of the 478-foot merchant vessel Ice River contacted Coast Guard watchstanders via satellite phone at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday stating that a 33-year old male crewmember was missing from the ship.
Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector North Carolina diverted a crew aboard an HC-130 Hercules from Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., which was conducting training in the vicinity, to commence the search.
A second Hercules crew took off from the air station at approximately 1:30 p.m. to join the search.
Two Navy E-2 Hawkeye crews from Squadron VAW 124 were also diverted to help in the search.
The Ice River crew has resumed their voyage to the Panama Canal.
The Coast Guard and Navy searched approximately 4,430 square miles for more than 10 hours.
