SAN FRANCISCO — The Coast Guard rescued four people Tuesday afternoon after a fire broke out onboard a pleasure craft in Alameda.

At 3:51 p.m., Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Command Center personnel received a 911-relay report of an engine room fire onboard the 32-foot pleasure craft near the Alameda ferry terminal in the Oakland Estuary.

The Sector San Francisco Command Center issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast and dispatched a rescue boatcrew from Coast Guard Station San Francisco. Alameda Fire Department personnel also responded with a fireboat and an engine company from shore.

The Coast Guard rescue boatcrew quickly arrived on scene and safely removed all four passengers from the vessel. Alameda Fire Department extinguished the engine room fire, and the vessel was safely towed back to Jack London Square in Oakland.

There were no injuries or pollution reported.

"This case is yet another great example of the working relationships we have with local responders," said Royce Heckendorn, Sector San Francisco Command Duty Officer. "Our rescue boat crew ensured everyone was safely removed from the vessel while Alameda Fire Department prevented the fire from spreading beyond the engine room."

BOSTON — Media are invited to ride the Coast Guard’s newest 418-foot National Security Cutter, James, on its transit from Hull into Boston Harbor, Monday, August 3.

Media will embark a 87-foot Coast Guard cutter from Coast Guard Base Boston at 6:30 a.m. and meet the cutter in the vicinity of Deer Island before mooring up at Base Boston around 9:30 a.m. The captain of James and crew will be available for interviews. 

James is the fifth National Security cutter (NSC) to be commissioned in the Coast Guard’s eight-ship class. The NSC is the largest and most technologically sophisticated in the Coast Guard. Each NSC is capable of operating in the most demanding open ocean environments, including the hazardous fisheries of the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the vast approaches of the Southern Pacific where much of the American narcotics traffic occurs. 

The cutter’s namesake of Capt. Joshua James is credited with saving more than 600 lives in the Boston Harbor area, was the Captain of Hull Life Saving Station, and is recognized as one of the most celebrated lifesavers in the world.

Space is limited, RSVP to (617) 717-9609 by 3 p.m. Friday to reserve a seat.

Coast Guard Base Boston is at 427 Commercial Street, Boston.

For more information on the Coast Guard’s National Security Cutters, visit: http://www.uscg.mil/acquisition/nsc/

Click here for a video of the Cutter James underway.

HOUSTON — The Coast Guard and local agencies have located the bodies of Phillip and Brandon Orr, Wednesday.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department search crews located Brandon at approximately 10 a.m. near the intersection with the Intracoastal Waterway. Coast Guard and Brazoria County Rescue crews found Phillip at about 11 a.m. in the same area, which was about a mile down river from where the boat was located Tuesday morning.

Multiple crews from Coast Guard Air Station Houston and Coast Guard Station Freeport searched along with crews from the Brazoria County Sherriff’s Department, Brazoria County Rescue, Freeport Police Department and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

WASHINGTON — Department of Homeland Security and Postal Service leaders are scheduled to dedicate the United States Coast Guard Forever stamp during a ceremony Tuesday at Coast Guard Headquarters.

The stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp and honors the Coast Guard for its role in protecting the security of the nation and advancing its vital maritime interests. Aug. 4, 2015, marks 225 years of the U.S. Coast Guard’s lifesaving legacy.

The stamp depicts two icons of the Coast Guard: the Barque Eagle, a three-masted sailing ship known as “America’s Tall Ship;” and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter, a Coast Guard rescue aircraft. William Phillips is the stamp’s artist.

WHO: Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Postmaster General Meagan Brennan.

WHAT: First-Day-of-Issue dedication ceremony for the United States Coast Guard Forever stamp.

WHEN: The ceremony is scheduled to begin Tuesday at 10 a.m.

WHERE: Cdr. Raymond J. “Ray” Evans Conference Center, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, St. Elizabeths Campus, Washington, D.C. 20593

To ensure credentialing and access to the St. Elizabeths campus, all interested media should respond to Lt. Sarah Janaro at Sarah.M.Janaro@uscg.mil or 202-372-4634 by 3 p.m. Friday. On the day of the ceremony, media need to be on-site by 9 a.m. to clear security. Please indicate if you will be arriving via public transportation or private vehicle. Further information on access to the St. Elizabeths campus will be provided after RSVP.

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard urges anyone going out on the Mississippi River to understand the risks associated with high water and strong currents.

Higher than average water levels create very strong and swift currents, which result in large amounts of debris, and can lead to dangerous situations on the Mississippi River.

The stronger than normal currents can create rips and eddies in places where they might not have been before, which can pull a boat or a person into a dangerous situation very quickly.

The easiest safety measure anyone can take is to always wear a lifejacket when operating on or around the river. Boaters should double-check that required equipment such as visual and audio distress signals, personal flotation devices and a fire extinguisher are present and in working condition, and never boat under the influence of alcohol.

For more safe boating information, please visit USCGBoating.

LOS ANGELES -- The Coast Guard is responding to a report of an oil sheen in the water near Goleta Beach.

Coast Guard received a call from Santa Barbara County Fire Department at 10:40 a.m., Wednesday reporting that there was a large amount of sheen in the water, 1000 yards off Goleta Beach in Santa Barbara, Calif.

The Coast Guard immediately launched a team from the Marine Safety Detachment Santa Barbara to investigate. A Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Los Angeles, along with pollution responders are also en route to assist with the investigation.

The Coast Guard urges the public and boaters to not come in contact with the oil and remain a safe distance from any visible sheen.

Please contact the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802 or the Coast Guard Command Center at (310) 521-3801 to report oil or other pollution.

WHO: Gov. Terry McAuliffe

WHAT: Brief on Commonwealth Hurricane Preparedness 

WHERE: U.S. Coast Guard Base Portsmouth, 4000 Coast Guard Blvd., Portsmouth, Va. 23703

WHEN: Friday at noon

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Gov. Terry McAuliffe will encourage Virginians to get ready for hurricane season and provide an update on the commonwealth’s preparations.

The governor will also present Rear Adm. Stephen Metruck, commander of the 5th Coast Guard District, with a proclamation in recognition of the U.S. Coast Guard’s 225th birthday, which the service is celebrating Aug. 4.

Gov. McAuliffe will take questions from the news media following the briefing.

Media should report to the front gate no later than 11:30 a.m. for escort by Coast Guard personnel to the press event.

PRESENTERS: Brian Moran, Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security

Aubrey Layne, Secretary of Transportation

Dr. Jeff Stern, State Coordinator, Virginia Department of Emergency Management

Rear Adm. Stephen Metruck, Commander of the 5th Coast Guard District

NOTE: For security reasons, please submit the names of individuals attending this briefing to the duty watch officer at D5de@uscg.mil or 757-434-7712 no later than noon Thursday. All individuals will be required to have a valid ID card and proof of insurance and registration for their vehicles. We cannot guarantee admittance for late submissions. 

NEW YORK — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle is scheduled to be moored on the south side of Pier 5 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, New York, Friday as part of the 2015 cadet summer training deployment.

The Eagle will be open for free public tours:

Friday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Eagle will be transiting through the New York Harbor past the Statue of Liberty prior to arriving in Brooklyn.

At 295 feet in length, the Eagle is the largest tall ship flying the American flag and the only active square-rigger in U.S. government service. Constructed in 1936 by the Blohm and Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, and originally commissioned as the Horst Wessel by the German Navy, Eagle was taken by the United States as a war reparation following World War II.

With more than 23,500 square feet of sail and six miles of rigging, Eagle has served as a classroom at sea for future Coast Guard officers since 1946, offering an at-sea leadership and professional development experience. Currently, there are 150 cadets from the Coast Guard Academy embarked. The summer deployment for the Barque spans 17 weeks, stopping at 14 port calls in three countries, with six different groups of cadets and officer candidates training onboard.

A permanent crew of eight officers and 57 enlisted personnel maintain the ship and guide the cadets through an underway and in-port training schedule, dedicated to learning the skills of navigation, damage control, watchstanding, engineering and deck seamanship.

To follow Eagle’s summer cruise, visit the ship’s Facebook page at

www.facebook.com/CoastGuardCutterEagle

CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. — Crewmembers from Coast Guard Station Chincoteague helped enforced the safety zone Wednesday at the 90th Annual Pony Swim between Assateague and Chincoteague islands off Virginia's Eastern Shore.

Thousands of spectators gathered for the event both on shore and on the water.

The Station Chincoteague crews used the 24-foot Special Purpose Craft-Shallow Water boat for the event.

The annual event gained international recognition after Marguerite Henry's children's novel "Misty of Chincoteague" was published in 1947, and the subsequent release of the 1961 film "Misty," based on the book.

MIAMI — The Coast Guard continues to search for two missing teenage boys approximately 100 nautical miles off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina.

Still missing are Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, both 14 years old.

Coast Guard search crews have conducted 53 search patterns covering approximately 40,000 square nautical miles. The search area stretches from Daytona, Florida to Charleston.

Coast Guard assets involved in Wednesday’s search include:

• Coast Guard Cutter William Flores

• Coast Guard Cutter Yellowfin

• Coast Guard Cutter Maria Bray

• Coast Guard Cutter Diamondback

• HC-130 Hercules airplane from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

• HC-130 Hercules airplane from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Florida.

Other agencies involved in the search include U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

At approximately 5 p.m. Friday, watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Miami command center received the report that Austin and Perry were aboard a 19-foot white single engine center console vessel and were last seen in the Jupiter area at approximately 1:30 p.m., after purchasing $110 worth of fuel.

On Sunday at 11 a.m., a Coast Guard C-130 located a capsized vessel 67 nautical miles east of Ponce de Leon Inlet, Florida. A Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew was dispatched, lowered a rescue swimmer to the boat, and confirmed the vessel's registration.

For more information contact the Coast Guard 7th District public affairs office at 786-367-7649.

For breaking news, please follow us on Twitter @uscgsoutheast.

LOS ANGELES – The Coast Guard continues their response to a report of sheen in the water near Goleta Beach. 

Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach received a call from Santa Barbara County Fire Department at 10:40 a.m., Wednesday reporting that there was a large amount of sheen in the water, 1000 yards off Goleta Beach.

The Coast Guard immediately launched a team from the Marine Safety Detachment in Santa Barbara to investigate. An HH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Los Angeles, along with a pollution responder, monitored the sheen during an over flight assessment.

Coast Guard responders reported the sheen to be approximately three square miles.  Due to the characteristics of the sheen, described as a thin layer of rainbow sheening, it is considered non-recoverable. The sheen is expected to dissipate naturally. For image of the sheen, click here.

Coast Guard crews will continue to investigate the source of the sheen. The investigation includes sampling of tar balls on the beach, obtaining samples of the sheen offshore, and sampling other possible sources such as a nearby platform and vessels that may have been in the area at the time the sheen was reported.

Please contact the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802 or the Coast Guard Command Center at (310) 521-3801 to report oil or other pollution.

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard has suspended their search for the person missing in the Mississippi River near New Orleans, Wednesday.

Crews covered more than 230 square miles during the search after receiving a report of a person in the water Tuesday evening. Rescue crews continuously searched the Mississippi River for more than 24 hours.

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans suspended the search of the Mississippi River at 7:28 p.m.  The New Orleans Police Department continues to investigate the identity of the missing person.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the missing man’s family and friends," said Lt. Josiah J. Starr of Sector New Orleans. "We appreciate all the support provided by our state, local and industry partners in the search effort. Pending further developments, we have decided to suspend the active search."

Participating in the search were Coast Guard crews and assets from Sector New Orleans, Coast Guard Cutter Bonito, Small Boat Station New Orleans, Air Station New Orleans, Fire Boat General Roy S. Kelly, and New Orleans Harbor Police.

BOSTON – The Coast Guard’s latest 418-foot National Security Cutter, James (WSML 754), is scheduled to arrive at Coast Guard Base Boston, Monday to celebrate the 225th birthday of the U.S. Coast Guard.  

The public is invited to tour the new cutter on Tuesday, August 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Base Boston.

The commissioning ceremony of the Cutter James scheduled for Saturday, August 8 in Boston, four days after the Coast Guard’s birthday, is highly symbolic. Notably, it will link the renowned lifesavers of the past, represented by the cutter’s namesake of Capt. Joshua James, to the next generation of men and women serving aboard the Coast Guard’s newest class of cutters. The NSC is the most technologically sophisticated cutter in the Coast Guard fleet and is reflective of how far the U.S. Coast Guard has evolved as a service and deepens our commitment to safeguarding the maritime community.

The James is the fifth of eight planned National Security Cutters – the largest and most technologically advanced class of cutters in the Coast Guard’s fleet. The cutters’ design provides better sea-keeping, higher sustained transit speeds, greater endurance and range, and the ability to launch and recover small boats from astern, as well as aviation support facilities and a flight deck for helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles.

After the commissioning ceremony, the James will transit to North Charleston, S.C., where the ship will be homeported.

Base Boston is located at 427 Commercial Street.

Visitors must present a valid ID to get on base, only purses and small bags are allowed. 

Petty Officer 2nd Class Noel Cordero stands in front of Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., Tuesday, July 28, 2015. Cordero, a storekeeper assigned to Air Station Atlantic City, was recognized as the 2015 recipient of the Douglas A. Munro Inspirational Leadership Award during a ceremony at the Navy League of the United States National Convention held Friday, June 19, 2015. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Nick Ameen)

A crewmember at Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, New Jersey, received the 2015 Douglas A. Munro Inspirational Leadership Award during a ceremony at the Navy League of the United States National Convention held June 19.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Noel Cordero, a storekeeper in the supply division of Air Station Atlantic City, was recognized for her performance of duty while assigned to the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley during 2014.

Cordero singlehandedly operated the supply division of her Alaska-based ship as a junior member for an entire month prior to new personnel reporting in.

"It was a lot of work looking back on it," said Cordero. "I'm not jumping out of helicopters but it's great helping out our own people." 

Cordero also volunteered for operational duties beyond her own specialty rating. She led the medical training team during her ship's tailored training availability, a position typically filled by a senior health services technician. Under her leadership, the crew earned a perfect score in all drills and was awarded for medical readiness. 

"I'm all about helping out," said Cordero. "I did my best and I'm thankful for that crew."

Cordero's recognition during the June 19 ceremony also came with a meritorious promotion by Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft, who said leadership is instilled at the most junior levels.

“Through effective leadership we will build a service known for its culture of respect, high standards, and decisive action," said Zukunft. "We will develop leaders who uphold our core values, fulfill their obligations as men and women of character and integrity, and exercise their authority with a sense of accountability.”

Cordero reported to Air Station Atlantic City in July 2015 and she said she's grateful for her new assignment.

"This is a dream for me," said Cordero. "Sleeping in a normal bed, enjoying the sunshine — those are just normal things you can't do on a ship in Alaska."

For more about Cordero's story, visit the Coast Guard Compass.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Noel Cordero receives the Douglas A. Munro Inspirational Leadership Award during a ceremony at the Navy League of the United States National Convention held June 19, 2015. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Patrick Kelley)

SEATTLE — Coast Guard crews working with state and local enforcement personnel will be conducting multi-agency Boating Under the Influence education, detection, and enforcement patrols in Seattle Friday through Sunday.

The multi-agency initiative, which includes members of the Coast Guard, Washington State Fish and Wildlife, and Seattle and Mercer Island Police Departments, is targeted to help ensure the safety of boaters enjoying the many events of Seafair weekend.

Operating a boat with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher is against federal and state law.  In Washington, alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in 17% of boating fatalities 

“This past 4^th of July weekend, we had a tragic alcohol related incident that resulted in one death and several serious injuries,” said Cmdr. Brian Meier, chief of response, Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound. “Being aware of the boating traffic around you and boating sober can prevent tragedy.  Making good choices ensures everyone enjoys their time on the water and comes home safe.”

Boating under the influence of drugs or alcohol endangers the operator's life and the lives of others. Alcohol can impair a boater’s judgment, balance, vision, and reaction time. Impairment can be even more dangerous for boaters than drivers because the sun, wind, noise, and the motion of being on the water can intensity the effects of alcohol.

Alcohol is also dangerous for boating passengers. Intoxication can lead to slips, falls overboard and other dangerous accidents.

To help ensure the safety of all boaters, the public is encouraged to designate a skipper for their vessel. Similar to a designated driver, the designated skipper will refrain from alcohol or drug consumption, and will be familiar with and be able to safely operate the vessel. For more information about safe boating, visit: www.uscgboating.org or www.parks.wa.gov/boating.

BUI laws pertain to all vessels, from canoes and rowboats to the largest ships.

U.S. Coast Guard boarding officers recommend boaters carry certain items to better enable them to safely operate their vessels, and if needed, to signal for help. A lifejacket for each person on board a vessel is required by law, but several other items can also greatly improve the odds of your survival in the event of a distress situation. Charts of your intended route aid navigation and allow you to avoid hazards, a first aid kit can be used to treat minor injuries, a VHF-FM radio, cellphone, whistle, and strobe light can be used to signal others, and a waterproof storage bag will protect valuables and those items that cannot get wet. Finally, a bottle of water will keep you hydrated and help avoid heat-related injuries. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Phillip Null/Released)

CLEVELAND — On July 30, shortly after 9 p.m., watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Buffalo, New York, were notified of an overdue jet skier who had departed Mentor Harbor, Ohio around 7 p.m., and failed to return. 

Sector Buffalo diverted a rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Fairport, located in Grand River, Ohio, and launched an aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Detroit. They also issued an urgent marine information broadcast to alert other mariners of the situation.

Before rescue crews arrived on scene, a good Samaritan had reported hearing a whistle blowing, headed in its direction and located a man in the water. The man confirmed that he had fallen off his jet ski and it drifted away from him. 

He had been in the water for over two hours.

"It is important every person heading out on a personal watercraft be familiar with its operation and how to safely and quickly get back aboard should they fall out," said Mike Baron, the recreational boating safety specialist for the Coast Guard 9th District in Cleveland. "Having a sound producing device attached to your life jacket, such as a whistle, is strongly encouraged and in some cases the law."

The U.S. Coast Guard is strongly reminding boaters of the importance of taking proper safety precautions before venturing out on their kayaks, paddle boards or other personal watercraft. These safety precautions include taking gear and equipment to increase survivability like a safety whistle to attract attention.

Every year, the Coast Guard responds to numerous reports of distress and requests for assistance involving such vessels. Many of those cases involve operators falling out and not being able to get back into their watercraft. 

Organizations, like the American Canoe Association and the Coast Guard Auxiliary, offer courses for vessels of all kinds. These courses typically cover everything from safe and proper vessel operation to safety equipment.

BOSTON — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle is scheduled to arrive at the Fort Adams State Park North Pier, Newport, Rhode Island, August 7, 2015 as part of the 2015 cadet summer training deployment.

The Eagle will be open for free public tours:

* Friday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

* Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 7 p.m.

* Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Eagle will be transiting through Narragansett Bay, Newport Harbor, and mooring at Fort Adams State Park at approximately 9:30 a.m.

At 295 feet in length, the Eagle is the largest tall ship flying the American flag and the only active square-rigger in U.S. government service. Constructed in 1936 by the Blohm and Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, and originally commissioned as the Horst Wessel by the German Navy, Eagle was taken by the United States as a war reparation following World War II.

With more than 23,500 square feet of sail and six miles of rigging, Eagle has served as a classroom at sea for future Coast Guard officers since 1946, offering an at-sea leadership and professional development experience. Currently, there are 150 cadets from the Coast Guard Academy embarked. The summer deployment for the Barque spans 17 weeks, stopping at 14 port calls in three countries, with six different groups of cadets and officer candidates training onboard.

A permanent crew of eight officers and 57 enlisted personnel maintain the ship and guide the cadets through an underway and in-port training schedule, dedicated to learning the skills of navigation, damage control, watchstanding, engineering and deck seamanship.

To follow Eagle’s summer cruise, visit the ship’s Facebook page at

www.facebook.com/CoastGuardCutterEagle

SAN PEDRO, Calif. – Coast Guard Cutter Narwhal is scheduled to hold a change-of-command ceremony, Friday, July 31, 2015.

Lt. Kristyn Grier will transfer command to Lt. j.g. Jamie Kim, a native of Irvine, Calif., during a change-of-command ceremony presided over by Capt. Jennifer F. Williams, Commander, Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles/ Long Beach.

Lt. Grier began her career in 2010 when she graduated with honors form the Coast Guard Academy. Grier was then assigned to her first unit aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute in St. Petersburg, Fla., where she served as a deck watch officer, helicopter control officer, and boarding officer. Grier went on to serve as a boarding officer and intelligence collection officer aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Maui in Manama, Bahrain, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Inherent Resolve. Grier has received many awards during her service in the Coast Guard, including several Commendation medals, an Achievement medal, a Coast Guard Unit Commendation medal, a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and a Coast Guard Special Operations Service Medal.

Under the command of Grier, Narwhal has completed approximately 3,000 operational patrol hours, more than 500 recreational vessel safety inspections, a major international training exercise, countless local community service events with local tours, and was featured in multiple hit televisions shows. The cutter pursued four go-fast vessels, assisted in the recovery of 2,595 pounds of marijuana, and contributed to the apprehension of six suspected drug smugglers. The unit was also the primary responder during three major Search and Rescue cases that resulted in four lives saved. Mostly notably, on September 17^th, 2014, Narwhal took part in the dramatic rescue of a dehydrated and disoriented boater 14-miles off of Newport Harbor.

Lt j.g. Kim graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 2012 and was assigned to her first unit aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf in Alameda, Calif., in support of Operation Arctic Shield. Kim most recently served as the Executive Office aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Maui in Manama, Bahrain, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Inherent Resolve.

The change-of-command ceremony is a time-honored tradition and deeply rooted in Coast Guard and Naval history. The event signifies a total transfer of responsibility, authority and accountability for the command.

Media wishing to attend the chage-of-command ceremony are asked to contact Public Affairs Los Angeles/ Long Beach office at 310-521-4260 or 310-781-0619.

WHO: Coast Guard Cutter Narwhal crewmembers and Coast Guard dignitaries
WHAT: Coast Guard Cutter Narwhal change-of-command ceremony
WHEN: 1 p.m., Friday July 31, 2015
WHERE: Coast Guard Cutter Narwhal Homeport, 1911 Bayside Dr., Corona Del Mar, CA 92625
CONTACT: Coast Guard Public Affairs Office Los Angeles/Long Beach, 310-521-4260 or 310-781-0619

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The Coast Guard is continuing to search for an overdue paddle boarder between Daytona, Florida, to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

Missing is William Morlock, 58.

Crews aboard an HC-130 Hercules airplane, the Coast Guard Cutter Maria Bray, and the Cutter Diamondback are searching for Morlock. A U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules airplane is scheduled to search throughout the night.

“Our crews continue to aggressively search for Mr. Morlock off the Florida coast,” said Capt. Mark Fedor, chief of response for the 7th Coast Guard district. “We have multiple search and rescue crews scouring the waters in our intense search effort.”

Coast Guard crews have conducted 23 search patterns and covered 10,504 square nautical miles in the search for Morlock.

Morlock’s sister notified watchstanders in the Coast Guard Sector Miami command center of the situation at 9:05 a.m., Sunday. The woman reported that her brother William was last seen Friday evening, at the residence they share, preparing the paddle board for use.

The paddle board was located Saturday six nautical miles east of Normandy Beach, Florida.

Watchstanders launched crews aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Miami, an HC-130 Hercules airplane from Air Station Clearwater, Florida, an HC-144 from Air Station Miami, and a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium from Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce.

Other agencies involved in the search have included the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, and the Port St. Lucie Police Department.

For more information contact the Coast Guard 7th District Public Affairs Office at 786-367-7649.

For breaking news, please follow us on Twitter @uscgsoutheast.