Re: 4 people lost at sea UP DATE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br /><br />U.S. Coast Guard<br />RELEASE DATE: November 12, 2003, 15:32:38 EST <br /><br />Missing boaters' vessel located; Coast Guard continues search <br /><br />Release #: S11-04 <br />Release date: November 12, 2003 <br />Contact: Petty Officer Danielle DeMarino <br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY<br />SEVENTH COAST GUARD DISTRICT - WEST FLORIDA REGION<br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /> <br />Missing boaters' vessel located; Coast Guard continues search<br /> <br /> A Good Samaritan reported the discovery of a capsized vessel 51 miles south of Keaton Beach, Fla. to the Coast Guard about 2:30 this afternoon.<br /><br /> The vessel has been identified as the 20-foot "Sea Craft" in which Dan Hutchinson, Jeremy Giffin, Amanda Player and Dominic Barrows were on board when they departed the Keaton Beach Marina Saturday morning to go grouper fishing 20 miles offshore. The four were due to return to the marina 6:00 p.m. Saturday.<br /><br /> The Coast Guard began searching for the four boaters when the marina reported they were overdue Saturday night. Thus far, the four-day search has consisted of 45 sorties and has included C-130 airplanes and HH-60 "Jayhawk" helicopters from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla., rescue boats from Coast Guard Station Yankeetown, Fla., the Coast Guard Cutters Marlin and Key Biscayne, as well as vessels and aircraft from the Air Force and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.<br /><br /> The Coast Guard, Air Force and FWCC continue to search for the missing boaters. <br /><br /> Sea conditions in the area are two to three-foot seas and 10-knot winds.<br /><br /> ________________________________________________<br /> local news<br /> <br />The Coast Guard says it has now recovered the boat belonging to Matthew Hutchinson of Valdosta, but so far no sign of the boaters themselves.<br /><br />The Coast Guard isn't releasing much information other than a good samaritan spotted the boat, capsized about 51-miles southwest of the Keaton Beach Marina where the group departed last Saturday morning, although the boat has been found the search for survivors continues.<br /><br />Dozens of empty boat trailers line the streets of Keaton Beach, Florida, signs of a community using every resource to find four Valdosta boaters believed to be lost at sea.<br /><br />We ask for enough volunteers for two sets of eyes on each boat, we had a tremendous turn out this morning, says Danny Hutchinson.<br /><br />But as the afternoon wore on, families of the missing boaters took comfort in each other, recalling wonderful memories of their children, their husband, and their brother. It's that undying hope that keeps the tears from pouring down. Even when news hit Wednesday afternoon, the Coast Guard found Matthew Hutchinson's boat capsized in the gulf.<br /><br />The Coast Guard remains on the water looking for any signs of Matthew, Amanda, Jeremiah and Dominic.<br /><br />The search for survivors presses on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, you'll find many family and friends of the boaters camping out at Keaton Beach Marina, waiting for search updates. Coast Guard officials say they look at many factors before calling off a search, factors like how long the boaters have been gone, what the weather's been like, and how good of shape the boaters are in, so they say they're taking it day by day.
