PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard suspended its search at approximately 7:30 p.m. Wednesday for a 32-year-old man who went missing at Brier Hall Point in the Alligator River near the entrance to the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina.

The responders searched eight and a half hours for the missing man covering approximately 80 square miles.

Coast Guard Sector North Carolina watchstanders received notification at noon via the Dare County 911 Dispatch Center from Manns Harbor Fire Department that a vessel was sinking and two people were in the water.

Dare County also reported that one man swam to shore, but the other was still missing.

Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched a helicopter crew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, in Elizabeth City, N.C., and a crew aboard a 24-foot Special Purpose Craft – Shallow Water from Coast Guard Station Elizabeth City, to search with Manns Harbor Fire Department.

BALTIMORE ─ The Coast Guard in Maryland and Washington, D.C., is scheduled to participate in National Safe Boating Week May 19 to 25.

National Safe Boating Week marks the informal beginning of summer and Coast Guard crews throughout the Upper Chesapeake Bay region will be on patrol paying particular attention to recreational boating safety.

"Always think safety and anticipate possibilities when going out on the water," said Capt. Mark O'Malley, the commander of Coast Guard Sector Baltimore. "Things to address include having properly fitted life jackets, a float plan, so a person at home knows where you intend to go and when you plan to return, and a reliable method of communication with the Coast Guard if you get into trouble. Help us help you to fully enjoy your time on the water this summer."

In this area, the 2011 statistics show 188 boating accidents resulting in a total of 18 fatalities.

Life jackets save lives. Seventy percent of all fatal boating accident victims drowned, and of those, 84 percent were reported as not wearing a life jacket.  Accidents can leave even a strong swimmer injured, unconscious and exhausted in the water.

The Coast Guard can narrow down a search for a missing or distressed boater when a boater files a float plan with a friend, family member, local marina personnel or the Coast Guard. A float plan states where you are going and how many people are aboard your vessel. It also gives a vessel description, details your destination and what time you expect to arrive there. If you are delayed for some reason, make sure you let someone know.

In addition, a VHF-FM radio is the best method of communication while on the water. Although cell phones are a good backup, they can be unreliable due to gaps in coverage area and the inevitable dead battery. 

Here are some other tips to help boaters have a safe and prepared summer on the water:

• Check the local weather prior to departing the dock. Weather can change very rapidly, and a watchful eye on the forecast conditions is key to safety.
• Have nautical charts of the area you are boating in, a global positioning device and a reliable means of communication on board your vessel.
• Obtain a free, no-fault vessel safety check, which can be conducted by the Coast Guard Auxiliary, before heading out on the water. The safety checks are courtesy examinations of your vessel, verifying the presence and condition of certain safety equipment required by state and federal regulations.
• Boating under the influence or boating while intoxicated is just as deadly as drinking and driving. It is illegal to operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs in every state. Penalties for violating BUI and BWI laws can include large fines, suspension or revocation of boat operator privileges and jail terms. Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents.

Media wanting more information are requested to contact Public Affairs Detachment Baltimore at 410-576-2638.

For audio public service announcements please click the following links:

Lifejackets - U.S. Coast Guard - Closer than you think

Lifejackets - U.S. Coast Guard - Speechless

Lifejackets - U.S. Coast Guard - First Impulse

Scan the quick response code below to view the Coast Guard approved float plan on your mobile device.

For further boating safety information, check online at one of the following:

Vessel Safety Checks: http://www.vesselsafetycheck.org/

Coast Guard Boating Safety page: http://www.uscgboating.org/

National Safe Boating Council: http://www.safeboatingcouncil.org/

U.S. Power Squadrons: http://www.usps.org/

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard rescued four people after their 20-foot boat began taking on water approximately 10 miles off the coast of Wrightsville Beach, N.C., Wednesday.

At approximately 3 p.m., watchstanders at Coast Guard Station Wrightsville Beach received the report from a member of the New Hanover County Emergency Management and 911 Communications.

A crew aboard a 41-foot Utility Boat launched to assist.

When the Coast Guard arrived on scene the 20-foot vessel’s stern was already submerged. The boaters were transferred from their vessel to shore aboard the UTB.

"The main thing is to be prepared for anything," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Micah Kennedy, a crewmember from Station Wrightsville Beach. "They had all the safety equipment that they needed aboard, even exceeding the number of lifejackets that they needed.”

Kennedy also said that making sure that all safety equipment is aboard is crucial and that having a spare hand-held dewatering pump, just in case you need it, would be ideal.

Coast Guard Sector North Carolina watchstanders are broadcasting a safety marine information broadcast to warn boaters of the vessel, which was left on scene.

Crewmembers of Station Wrightsville Beach are en route to the vessel to report its condition.

The owner is making arrangements to salvage the vessel.

CORRECTION: Manns Harbor Fire Department requested Coast Guard search assistance through Dare County 911 Dispatch Center

PORTSMOUTH, Va. —The Coast Guard is searching for a 32-year-old man who went missing, Wednesday, at Brier Hall point in the Alligator River near the entrance to the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina.

Coast Guard Sector North Carolina watchstanders received notification at noon via the Dare County 911 Dispatch Center from Manns Harbor Fire Department that a vessel was sinking, and two people were in the water.

Dare County also reported that one man swam to shore, but the other was still missing.

Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Elizabeth City, in Elizabeth City, N.C., to search with Manns Harbor Fire Department.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard medevaced a 23-year-old man off a merchant vessel approximately 30 miles east of Kitty Hawk, N.C., Monday.

An agent for the merchant vessel, Norfolk Express, called watchstanders at the Coast Guard 5th District at approximately 1 p.m. requesting a medevac for a male crewmember who was in need of assistance.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Elizabeth City in Elizabeth City, N.C., launched to assist, hoisted the man and took him to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk.

"Everything went very well," said Lt. Jane Peña, the co-pilot of the Jayhawk.  "The crew worked well together to help ensure the quick and efficient response for this medevac."

WILMINGTON, N.C. — The Coast Guard is warning mariners of shoaling approximately one-half mile into the Hatteras Inlet Channel here, Monday.

The width of the channel has been reduced due to encroaching shoals on either side of the waterway.

Vessel operators are urged not to pass other vessels in the vicinity of buoy 11A, light list number 28730.1, and 12C, light list number 28732.3, in the Hatteras Inlet Channel.

"We've had numerous vessels run aground in this area, including one with injuries this past weekend," said Capt. Anthony Popiel, the commander of Coast Guard Sector North Carolina in Wilmington. "We urge all boaters to exercise due caution in this waterway to ensure their safety and that of others."

Vessels transiting the area are reminded not to inhibit the passage of ferries or dredges, as they have limited maneuverability. Vessel masters are reminded of their responsibilities in narrow channels in accordance with rule 9 of the Navigation Rules.

For more information, including recent channel depths, visit the Army Corps of Engineers website at http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/nav/.

MANASQUAN INET, N.J. — The Coast Guard responded to a dive accident approximately 3 miles off the coast here Sunday.

Coast Guard watchstanders at Station Manasquan Inlet received a radio hail via VHF-FM channel 16 at approximately 8:40 a.m. from a crewmember aboard the commercial dive vessel Sea Lion reporting a dive accident. The crewmember stated a diver exited the water experiencing shallow breathing and was in need of medical assistance.

A 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew, including two emergency medical technicians, from Station Manasquan Inlet arrived on scene at about 9:05 a.m. The two technicians went aboard the Sea Lion to assist the man while the MLB and Sea Lion crews transited back to the station. Upon arrival, the man was transferred to awaiting New Jersey EMTs and transported to the Ocean Medical Center, in Brick, N.J., where he was pronounced deceased.

“It is important for people who go out on the water to have some training in first aid and medical supplies on their vessels in case of emergency. In this case, everyone aboard the Sea Lion was certified in CPR and were first aid responders who took immediate action to try and help this man until officials arrived,” said Petty Officer 2^ndClass Robert McNamara, a crewmember from the station.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard assisted six people after a 46-foot charter vessel ran aground in Hatteras Inlet Saturday.

Coast Guard Sector North Carolina watchstanders received a report via VHF-FM channel 16 of an aground vessel, the Nancy K, with eight people aboard at approximately 6:45 a.m.

Sector North Carolina watchstanders dispatched a 25-foot Response Boat - Small crew from Coast Guard Station Hatteras Inlet in Hatteras, N.C., to assist. Another charter vessel in the area removed the captain of the vessel with reported facial injuries sustained from the grounding and is en route to the Outer Banks hospital in Nags Head, N.C. The RB-S crew arrived on scene and removed the six passengers from the vessel and took them back to the station where they were met by local EMS.

The Sea Bear, a charter vessel, freed the Nancy K from its grounding and the Nancy K arrived at Scott Boatyard and Marina in Buxton, N.C., under its own power.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of a Coast Guard cutter, homeported here, is scheduled to return at 10 a.m. Tuesday, following a 33-day deployment to support the Coast Guard’s 7th District.

The crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Sea Horse deployed March 30, and arrived at Charleston, S.C., assuming the role of the standby search and rescue cutter.

During their patrol, the crew worked as a security detail with the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Secret Service and local and state agencies for Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to South Carolina Easter weekend.

The crew also responded to two cases, during the latter part of their patrol. The first was a disabled 38-foot sailing vessel, which they took in tow. The crew traveled approximately 130 miles to rendezvous with the boaters and towed them 65 miles toward Tybee, Ga.

Crewmembers were also able to assist good Samaritans in coming to the aid of three people aboard a sinking small boat. Petty Officer 1st Class Lance Wiser and Petty Officer 3rd Class Caitlyn Nottingham provided aid to the good Samaritans, who had the vessel in tow.

“We aren’t the first 87 crew to do a 30-day deployment, and I'm sure we won't be the last,” said Master Chief Petty Officer Stephen B. Atchley, the officer in charge of the Sea Horse. “But the significance of this is the fact that 12 men and women lived for 30 days aboard a platform that was designed for just 2-3 day deployments.”

The Sea Horse is an 87-foot Patrol Boat.

Media interested in attending the Sea Horse’s homecoming at Coast Guard Base Portsmouth, 4000 Coast Guard Blvd., Portsmouth, Va., should contact Coast Guard 5th District Public Affairs at 757-398-6272 by 8 a.m. Tuesday.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard medevaced a 66-year-old man off a cruise ship approximately 60 miles east of Cape Hatteras, N.C., Sunday.

A crewmember from the cruise ship Norwegian Jewel called watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads at approximately 4:45 p.m. requesting a medevac for a male passenger who was in need of assistance.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Elizabeth City in Elizabeth City, N.C., launched to assist, hoisted the man and a ship’s nurse and took them to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, N.C.

“We do about 20 hoists like this one, from cruise ships and merchant vessels, a year,” said Tom Botzenhart, search and rescue coordinator at the Coast Guard’s 5th District Command Center. This is yet another example of how the 5th District rescue teams stand ready to perform their mission, no matter what kind, all the time.”