Coast guard search from Brevard to Fort Pierce for missing Vero Beach boater suspended
The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for a 68-year-old missing Vero Beach boater whose vessel washed ashore with a running motor in Melbourne Beach last week.
The Coast Guard canvassed an area the size of Connecticut for over 132 hours.
The search was suspended Sunday after the Coast Guard was expected to discuss the case with the man's family, according to a news release.
The 29-foot boat ran ashore in Brevard County on Thursday with the engines still running, less than four hours after Dale Hossfield left the Fort Pierce Inlet for a solo boat trip.
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He left about 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to Coast Guard officials, who were alerted that his boat had washed ashore in Melbourne Beach without him at 5:45 p.m. that evening.
"We have made the difficult decision to suspend the search for Dale Hossfield," said Lt. Cmdr. Daniel Delgado, Coast Guard Sector Miami search and rescue coordinator.
"We extend our deepest condolences to Dale's family and friends during this difficult time."
Indian River County records show Hossfield lives at an address just southwest of Vero Beach city limits and owns a rental home in the county. Efforts to talk to family and neighbors were unsuccessful.
Hossfield retired from Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City. Records from New York show he has long enjoyed the outdoors. He owned at least one boat there, and he had a fishing license there as of 2014.
Florida Fish and Wildlife also joined in as searchers spanned 4,264 miles of ocean from Fort Pierce to south Brevard County. Several small Coast Guard boats from Fort Pierce and Cape Canaveral and a helicopter from Miami were called in to look for the missing boater.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Coast Guard at 1-305-535-4472.
J.D. Gallop is a Criminal Justice/Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Missing Vero Beach boater search ended by Coast Guard
