PORTSMOUTH, Va. (Aug. 23, 2007) - The Coast Guard suspended the search at 4:30 p.m. for two people who reported that their boat was sinking in the Chesapeake Bay early this morning.
The suspension was based on a lack of evidence that anyone was in the water after a nearly 15-hour search involving 12 boats and aircraft from the Coast Guard, Maryland State Police, Maryland Natural Resources Police, Calvert County Fire Rescue and Dorchester County Fire Rescue. Numerous shore-side operators and search and rescue coordinators also assisted the search of some 300 nautical miles.
"We've exhausted all our leads at this time," said Lt. Isaac Saenz, chief of the Coast Guard Sector Baltimore command center. "The Coast Guard suspended the case based on the scant information we received from the broken cell phone calls, and the lack of results from the extensive search by federal, state and local agencies today."
The search began when operators received three short, broken mobile phone calls from an individual who reported he was taking on water between Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Plant and Taylor's Island in the Chesapeake Bay.