(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - After searching 86 square miles of the Tongass Narrows for a total of 27 hours, the U.S. Coast Guard, Alaska State Troopers, Ketchikan Fire Department and volunteer search and rescue crews suspended the active search Wednesday afternoon for a 52-year-old Ketchikan resident missing from his drifting houseboat.

Coast Guard, Search & Rescue and Ketchikan Police during the search for the missing captain of the 40-foot houseboat, Diver III (pictued on right).
Photograph by JIM LEWIS ©2014

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the missing as we make this difficult decision," said Cmdr. Marc Burd, chief of response, Coast Guard Sector Juneau. "It was a superb response and search effort by all involved with an unfortunate outcome. I would like to personally thank all the volunteer search and rescue personnel in Ketchikan who helped us throughout the search."

John Anderson's 40-foot houseboat, Diver III, was first spotted Wednesday morning dragging anchor off Pennock Island and the Ketchikan Police Department notified the Coast Guard Sector Juneau command center that Anderson's houseboat was dangerously close to a break wall in Ketchikan. The USCG watchstanders directed the launch of the 47-foot Ketchikan Station Motor Life Boat crew to investigate.

The Coast Guard boarding team determined that Anderson's 40-foot houseboat, Diver III, had been recently occupied and began searching for Anderson in the water. Sector Juneau watchstanders directed a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew to launch and assist the Motor Life Boat crew in the search at sunrise Wednesday. Volunteer search and rescue personnel joined Coast Guard crews shortly thereafter.

The 86 square mile search in the Tongass Narrows revealed no results and the search for Anderson was called off late Wednesday.

The Ketchikan area experienced high winds and rain Tuesday through Wednesday morning with over 5 inches of rain recorded Tuesday and 1 inch recorded Wednesday by the National Weather Service. Peak high wind speed Tuesday was recorded at 58 MPH and 61 MPH Wednesday morning.

The Coast Guard is asking that anyone with information regarding the location of the missing man should contact the Sector Juneau command center at 907-463-2980.

Edited by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News: 

United States Coast Guard
www.uscg.mil

 

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Ketchikan, Alaska

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