Coast Guard suspends search for missing man in Chesapeake Bay after 33 hours

The Coast Guard is suspending its search for a man they believe was lost in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard 5th District Mid-Atlantic told WTOP that the agency halted the search after covering over 1,000 square miles and looking for more than 33 hours.

In a statement released Saturday, the Coast Guard said watch standers at the Coast Guard Sector Virginia command center got word of a 20-foot Boston Whaler fishing boat beached near Factory Point, Virginia. Officials said the boat showed signs that it had recently been occupied.

In connection with the stranded boat, crews were looking for 63-year old Christopher Martin Young, described as a white male weighing about 200 pounds.

Officials announced a broad search area, covering the Chesapeake Bay from Annapolis, Maryland to Hampton, Virginia.

Officials said cellphone data indicated that the vessel left Annapolis on Friday evening and headed south.

Lauren Hamilton

Lauren Hamilton is an Associate Producer at WTOP and a graduate of the University of Maryland. She enjoys covering the intersection of arts, culture and social justice in local communities. She began as an intern with WTOP in the summer of 2021.

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