The Coast Guard suspended their search for four missing fishermen off the Galveston coast at 12:30 p.m., Sunday.
“As always the Coast Guard heartfelt condolences go out to the family members of the missing fishermen,” said Kevin Robb, a search and rescue mission controller at the 8th Coast Guard District command center.
Rescue crews searched approximately 5,400 miles — roughly the size of Connecticut — with planes, helicopters and boats.
Watchstanders at the 8th District command center received an alert from the 406 Mhz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon of the fishing boat at approximately 3:30 a.m., Friday.
An Air Station Corpus Christi HU-25 Falcon jet was launched for crews to provide an over flight of the area and they spotted a man waving his arms aboard an orange liferaft.
An MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter and crew from Air Station Houston hoisted the man to safety and brought him back to shore, Friday. The survivor reported that there were four other crewmembers with him aboard the boat.
The weather on scene was 10 to 15 foot seas with 33 mph winds, with gusts up to 40. The water temperature was 55 degrees.
Coast Guard crews utilized the following assets to conduct the search:
MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopters from Air Stations Houston and Air Station New Orleans
HU-25 Falcon jets from Air Station Corpus Christi
The Coast Guard Cutter Thetis, homeported in Key West, Fla.
and HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from Aviation Training Center Mobile, Ala..
