Crews suspend search for missing NC boater who vanished during offshore fishing trip

Rodney Overton
·3 min read

OAK ISLAND, N.C. (WNCN) — New photos and new information were released Monday in the search for a boater who vanished off the North Carolina coast during a fishing trip over the weekend.

THE LATEST: Search restarts for NC fisherman after boat found offshore Wrightsville Beach

Meanwhile, late Monday night, the U.S. Coast Guard said they had suspended the search for Jeffrey Kale, 47, who was last seen around 4 p.m. Saturday departing the Southport Wildlife Boat Ramp in Brunswick County, officials said.

Kale was aboard a white 32-foot Cape Horn center-console boat before he and the vessel disappeared, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The Oak Island Police Department Monday released a photo of the boat and a new image of Kale.

UPDATE
Search restarts for missing NC fisherman after his boat found offshore Wrightsville Beach

“Our extensive search by air and sea with numerous crews, assets, and several good Samaritans, saturated the various areas we believed he may be,” the U.S. Coast Guard said Monday night about a decision to stop the search.

Coast Guard officials in North Carolina received word from Kale’s family that he was overdue from a fishing trip around 10:30 p.m. Saturday.

Oak Island police said Monday they were helping the U.S. Coast Guard in the search for Kale who is from Clover, South Carolina, just south of Charlotte, North Carolina.

“He is an expert fisherman and was well equipped with an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), satellite phone, and various navigation tools,” Oak Island police said Monday.

Jeffrey Kale, 47, was last seen around 4 p.m. Saturday departing in a white 32-foot Cape Horn center-console boat at the Southport Wildlife Boat Ramp in Brunswick County, officials said. Photo from Oak Island Police Department
Jeffrey Kale, 47, was last seen around 4 p.m. Saturday departing in a white 32-foot Cape Horn center-console boat at the Southport Wildlife Boat Ramp in Brunswick County, officials said. Photo from Oak Island Police Department

The Coast Guard searched fishing grounds and specific areas in the Atlantic Ocean based on Kale’s previous trips and information from his family, police said.

Coast Guard searching off NC coast for boater who vanished during fishing trip

Coast Guard officials said they had focused the search on the Blackjack and Steeples fishing areas, which are 7 miles apart and are located about 30 miles southeast of Southport.

Oak Island police said efforts to find Kale using cellphone location data were attempted but were not successful.

Missing fisherman Jeffrey Kale in a photo form the U.S. Coast Guard.
Missing fisherman Jeffrey Kale in a photo from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Monday night, the U.S. Coast Guard said it was “with heavy hearts” that they suspended the active search for Kale around 8:20 p.m. Monday

Rescue crews searched for approximately 72 combined hours and covered more than 7,762 square miles, which is nearly the size of Massachusetts, the Coast Guard said.

Jeffrey Kale, 47, was last seen around 4 p.m. Saturday departing the Southport Wildlife Boat Ramp in Brunswick County, officials said. Photo from Oak Island Police Department
Jeffrey Kale, 47, was last seen around 4 p.m. Saturday departing the Southport Wildlife Boat Ramp in Brunswick County, officials said. Photo from Oak Island Police Department

“The decision to suspend a search is one of the most difficult decisions to make. Our thoughts are with the Kale family,” U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Corrie Sergent said in a news release.

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