1 Fisherman Found Alive, 1 Still Missing 2 Weeks After Vessel Went Missing

Ingrid Vasquez
·3 min read
2

He was transported to shore with help from the Canadian Coast Guard and was reported to be in stable condition

<p>US Coast Guard PNW/ Twitter</p> Photo of the 43-foot vessel in which the two fishermen traveled in

US Coast Guard PNW/ Twitter

Photo of the 43-foot vessel in which the two fishermen traveled in

A fisherman has been found alive two weeks after he went missing.

The man had been onboard a 43-foot vessel that departed Grays Harbor, Washington on Oct. 12, with two people onboard, according to the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest.

Related: Italian Mom Wins Court Case to Evict Her 2 Adult Sons in Their 40s: 'Parasites'

The U.C. Coast Guard announced on Tuesday in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that a search had begun for the missing mariners after they had reportedly intended to return on Oct. 15. The post included a public plea requesting anyone with information to contact officials.

A day later, they announced on X that the search had been suspended "pending the development of new information."

"Crews searched over 14,000 square miles for over 8 hours," the statement continued. "Our sincerest condolences go out to the family of the missing people during this difficult time."

The U.S. Coast Guard's announcement on Friday stated that the sailor was found alive on a life raft approximately 70 miles northwest of Cape Flattery "by good Samaritans." He was transported to shore with help from the Canadian Coast Guard and was reported to be in stable condition.

The USCG Pacific Northwest also included a map of where the life raft was found and stated that the incident remains under investigation.

The second individual who was on the boat with the mariner remains missing, per the USCG Pacific Northwest's announcement. PEOPLE has reached out to the USCG Pacific Northwest for comment.

The two Samaritans — identified as Ryan Planes and his uncle John, from Sooke, British Columbia — spoke out about their experience in a conversation with KING-TV.

Related: 'Evading Arrest' Among Events at Florida Man Games — and Founder Says 'a Ton' of Cops Volunteered as Chasers

<p>US Coast Guard PNW/ Twitter</p> Photo of the life raft as it was approached by the good Samaritan vessel, provided by the U.S. Coast Guard PNW's account on X

US Coast Guard PNW/ Twitter

Photo of the life raft as it was approached by the good Samaritan vessel, provided by the U.S. Coast Guard PNW's account on X

"We pulled him on board. He gave me a big hug, and it was emotional. We made him breakfast. He drank three bottles of water. He was pretty hungry, poor guy," John told the outlet. Planes recalled how they were first able to spot the missing mariner.

"I saw what looked like a life raft in the distance and ran inside and put the binoculars on him, and then he shot off a flare," he said.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In May, the U.S. Coast Guard released a summary of 2022 recreational boating statistics. That year, there were 636 boating fatalities nationwide, which was a 3.3% decrease from the 658 deaths in 2021.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.

Recommended Stories