Search called off for boaters missing off NJ coast

SANDY HOOK, N.J. (AP) — The Coast Guard suspended a search this afternoon for a sailboat missing off the New Jersey coast that had four people aboard who radioed they were abandoning ship and getting on a smaller boat but haven’t been heard from since.

An extensive search turned up no sign of the boat, debris or sailors. They said they were aboard the 33-foot white sailboat named Courtney Lynn, which radioed a distress call early this morning. Forty minutes later, those aboard radioed that the boat was 90 percent submerged, and that they were transferring to a small dinghy.

Coast Guard boats searched for five hours, while local police agencies searched from land. Coast Guard aircraft flew three rescue flights over the search area, and both the Coast Guard and state police searched by helicopter.

“The weather conditions were ideal for finding a 33-foot vessel, even if it were sinking,” said Chief Warrant Officer Troy Loining, who commands the Coast Guard’s Sandy Hook Station. Loining said the Coast Guard did not yet have information about the boat’s registration, owners or passengers.

Loining noted that the station has responded to calls in the past that have turned out to be hoaxes, but that other distress calls have turned into rescues.