Coast Guard Suspended Search

[Bucktailboys.com]

The Coast Guard suspended its search at about 9 a.m. Thursday for a 30-year-old man who was reported missing from a fishing boat 45 miles east of Manasquan Inlet Wednesday.

Missing is Rene Lopez of Newport News, Va.

A crewmember from the fishing boat Yvonne Michelle contacted Coast Guard watchstanders via VHF-FM Channel 16 at about 11:30a.m. Wednesday and reported Lopez was missing and believed to have fallen overboard.

Multiple Coast Guard helicopter and boat crews, along with a good Samaritan fishing boat crew, searched for Lopez for approximately 22 hours covering more than 240 square miles

I wonder why?

[rentalrod]

[QUOTE=I wonder why?[/QUOTE]

I don't get you. You wonder why what?

[Bucktailboys.com]

Sorry, suspended it. Seemed quick to suspend it.

[rentalrod]

Sad. Sounds like he must have gone overboard and no one immediately noticed it. I guess this time of year there's not much time to recover a man in the water.

Even when I go on a party boat in snotty conditions the thought crosses my mind as to what I would do if it started taking on water. About twenty years ago the Adventurer went down out of Wildwood (where I live BTW). All survived but had to be scary.

[Capt. Debbie]

It's a weird story top to bottom. Probably a lot not disclosed.

Was boat underway?

Curious story. And yes it's likely day light made search suspended. But likelihood of live recovery is pretty much written off too.

[Flukemeister1]

Unfortunately the window to find and recover someone is very small. The cold weather and water conditions only make it tougher and in very cold water like we have now a person does not stay afloat for very long. Searching 45 miles out is no easy task for anyone. The statistics are fairly straight forward in that once you are out beyond 11 miles you may as well be out 1100 miles because there is so much area to look at. Even in absolute ideal search conditions i.e. flat seas, good visibility, timely reporting of the accident, your chances of finding the person is only 78%. It's sad to say the least. Wearing your PFD will greatly increase your chances of survival in a MOB situation. I have heard all the arguments too, "oh I swim great". You can't swim at all if you hit your head and are knocked out. When dunked in cold water you can't swim at first because your diaphragm goes into an uncontrollable spasm that will cause you to inhale water. It's tough out there and sadly accidents do happen.