The Coast Guard has suspended its search for a sailor whose boat submerged Sunday morning on the Elizabeth River in Norfolk.
63-year-old Paul Youngk was last seen on his sailboat, Grafin, which reportedly ran aground off Fort Norfolk, took on water, and eventually capsized.
Two Coast Guard rescue boats and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew searched a 152-square-mile area over 11.5 hours before calling off the search.
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission, Norfolk Police Department, Norfolk Fire Department, Hampton Police Department, and Chesapeake Fire Department also canvassed the river looking for Youngk.
“Several different agencies came together yesterday to search for Mr. Youngk,” said Capt. Samson Stevens, deputy commander for Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads. “It’s with a heavy heart that the Coast Guard has decided to suspend its search, this is not the outcome we were hoping for and our thoughts are with the Youngk family.”
-Meg Walburn Viviano
