Multiple first responders searched the York River for a man who reportedly went into the water at Gloucester Point Beach, Va. late Thursday night and didn’t resurface. But the search was suspended Friday when the Coast Guard couldn’t identify any missing person.
A witness reported seeing the swimmer go in around midnight and not return. Overnight, the Coast Guard searched with a boat crew and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter. The York County Fire Department, Gloucester Fire Department, Abingdon Volunteer Fire & Rescue (AFVR), Hampton Fire Department, and Virginia Marine Resources Commission along with other partners also helped look for the man.
As of Friday morning, the search was temporarily suspended due to deteriorating weather conditions, Abingdon Volunteer Fire & Rescue reported. Later Friday the Coast Guard released an update saying, “Search efforts have been suspended due to a lack of correlation to any missing person reports for the area and any signs of distress in the area searched.”
While it’s still unclear whether the reports were unfounded, the Coast Guard says they’ll restart the search mission if they do get confirmation of a victim. “If any new, relevant information is provided, the search may be continued,” they write.
“We ask that residents along the York River and its tributaries keep a sharp lookout and report any sightings,” AFVR also said in a Facebook post.
Anyone with information on the potential missing swimmer is asked to please call the Coast Guard Sector Virginia Command Center at 757-638-6637.
Bay Bulletin will follow this story and report on any updates.
–Meg Walburn Viviano
