2 Men and Dog Found Safe on a Missing Sailboat After Being Stranded at Sea, Coast Guard Says

Abigail Adams
·2 min read
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Sailboat Traveling from N.J. to Florida Is Missing
Sailboat Traveling from N.J. to Florida Is Missing

U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic

Two men who were reported missing at sea this weekend have been found safe on their boat off the coast of Delaware.

The sailors — Kevin Hyde, 64, and Joe DiTommasso, 76 — were located Tuesday afternoon "approximately 214 miles east" of the state's shoreline by a tanker vessel named Silver Muna, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release. A pet dog was also on the missing boat.

The victims were last seen on Dec. 3 as they left Oregon Inlet, N.C., on their boat, previously identified as a 30-ft. Catalina sailboat named Atrevida II. They were traveling from Cape May, N.J., to Marathon, Fla., when they disappeared.

The Coast Guard's Fifth District was informed that Hyde and Ditomasso were overdue on Sunday, a week after they were last seen.

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Sailboat Traveling from N.J. to Florida Is Missing
Sailboat Traveling from N.J. to Florida Is Missing

U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic

Hyde and Ditomasso waved their arms and a flag to get the attention of the Silver Muna crew, according to the Coast Guard. They boarded the vessel just after 4:15 p.m., and were evaluated by the ship's medical staff.

The Atrevida II had no fuel or power, "rendering their radios and navigation equipment inoperable," the Coast Guard said.

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Officials searched more than 21,000 square miles of water "spanning from northern Florida to the waters east of New Jersey" in search of the missing boaters, according to Tuesday's release.

Multiple commercial and recreational vessels joined in the search, which was conducted both in the water and in the air, the Coast Guard reported.

Sailboat Traveling from N.J. to Florida Is Missing
Sailboat Traveling from N.J. to Florida Is Missing

U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic

Commander Daniel Schrader, spokesperson for Coast Guard Atlantic Area, said they are "overjoyed with the outcome of the case."

"This is an excellent example of the maritime community's combined efforts to ensure safety of life at sea," he said in Tuesday's release.

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Hyde and Ditomasso are still aboard Silver Muna as it travels to its next port in New York City, the Coast Guard said.

There, the sailors "will be transferred to a Coast Guard vessel for further evaluation" before they are reunified with loved ones, per Tuesday's release.