UPDATE: Coast Guard suspends search for person in the water near Freeport, Texas

News Release

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 PA Detachment Texas online newsroom

UPDATE: Coast Guard suspends search for person in the water near Freeport, Texas

HOUSTON — The Coast Guard suspended its search Monday for a missing person in the water last seen at Surfside Beach near Freeport, Texas.

Missing is 22-year-old Elijah Posana, U.S. Air Force, who was last seen wearing a maroon shirt.

Coast Guard and local agency crews searched over the course of 28 hours, covering approximately 100 square miles.

On Sunday, Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a notification that Posana was swimming approximately 100-feet from shore when an individual reported seeing him being pulled by a rip current. Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched a Coast Guard Station Freeport 29-foot Response Boat-Small boat crew and a Coast Guard Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew.

"The decision to suspend a search is always an extremely difficult one to make," said Capt. Jason Smith, Sector Houston-Galveston commanding officer. "Every time we run a search and rescue case, we think of the missing as our own and in this case, the missing is a fellow service member which definitely weighs heavily on our hearts. Our deepest condolences go out to the airman's family and friends." 

Involved in the search were:

• Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston
• Coast Guard Air Station Houston
• Coast Guard Station Freeport
• Coast Guard Cutter Tiger Shark
• Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston Drone Team
• Surfside Police Department
• Brazoria County Sheriff's Office

For more information follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

-USCG-