One found, one missing after canoe capsizes near NC’s Outer Banks, Coast Guard says
Update: The Coast Guard said Monday night that it suspended the search for the missing 27-year-old woman after crews had searched roughly 1,635 square nautical miles over 73 hours. Capt. Matt Baer, Sector North Carolina commander, said in a statement that the “decision to suspend a search is the toughest part of my responsibilities” and that “our hearts are with the family who lost a loved one during this incident.” The original story is below.
Crews found one missing person and were searching for another after their canoe capsized near North Carolina’s Outer Banks on Saturday.
The U.S. Coast Guard said watchstanders at its Sector North Carolina command center received a 911 report around 4:15 p.m. about a “capsized canoe with two people on board” near Portsmouth Island in Ocracoke Inlet.
A witness had seen the canoe capsize and called 911 with only 1% battery left on their phone, the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard said it was searching the water for the two canoers along with the Hyde County Sheriff’s Office, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and crews with North Carolina State Parks.
It said it launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and a 24-foot “shallow water special purpose craft” crew to help with the search.
The Coast Guard said in a later news release that searchers found “a conscious male survivor” next to a canoe Sunday morning about 2.8 miles offshore of Drum Inlet and took him to a hospital.
Crews continued to search for a 27-year-old woman.
This story was originally published October 10, 2021 at 10:52 AM.
