BOSTON — After an HC-144 Casa airplane crew from Air Station Cape Cod conducted a first light search Friday morning, the Coast Guard suspended its search for a possible person in the water near Rye Harbor, N.H.
Coast Guard crews along with local agencies searched for a possible missing paddle boarder Thursday night, north of Rye Harbor, New Hampshire. After searching for nearly five hours and over 144 square nautical miles with no findings or correlating missing persons reports in the area, the search was suspended.
Initially, at 8:09 p.m. Coast Guard Sector Northern New England watchstanders were notified by the Rockingham Sheriff’s Department of a female paddle boarder in apparent distress.
A 29-foot rescue boat crew from Station Portsmouth Harbor and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Cape Cod immediately launched to search the area.
In addition, a New Castle Fire Department boat also launched to assist.
The Sheriff’s Department reported seeing the paddle boarder waving a bright white light approximately a half-mile off shore before losing sight of her around 8:30 p.m.