UPDATE: Coast Guard, others continue search for missing boater

News Release

May 7, 2017 U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas Contact: 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas Office: (281) 464-4810 After Hours: (832) 293-1293

UPDATE: Coast Guard, others continue search for missing boater

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coast Guard, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and SeaTow continued the search Sunday for a boater who was reported missing by a good Samaritan in Copano Bay.

Missing is Kevin Ferrel, 53.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department boat crews, Sea Tow boat crews, an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi and small boat crews from Coast Guard Station Port Aransas worked together to search for Ferrel throughout the day Sunday.

Search crews will resume at first light Monday. Search patterns have covered 135 square miles.

An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast is also being broadcast on VHF marine radio channel 16, to get the assistance of other boaters in the area.

Saturday at 2:02 p.m., a good Samaritan called Sector Corpus Christi to report a small pleasure craft found idling with a fishing pole and cell phone in it, but no one aboard, approximately a half mile south of Newcomb Point in Copano Bay.  

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department found Ferrel’s phone aboard his boat and contacted his wife. She reported that he left at 12:30 p.m. to fish around the Newcomb’s Point area.

-USCG-