Coast Guard Ends 2 Searches in Gulf

The Coast Guard ended two searches today in the Gulf of Mexico off the Texas and Louisiana coasts after thorough searches turned up no results. In the first case, the Coast Guard called off the search for a missing swimmer in San Luis Pass near Freeport, Texas. The 17-year-old Hispanic male is missing after swimming in San Luis Pass Tuesday evening. The Galveston Police Department notified the Coast Guard of the missing swimmer about 8:40 p.m. Tuesday. The Coast Guard conducted many searches with a 47-foot rescue boat, from Coast Guard Station Galveston, Texas, and an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Houston. A boat and personal watercraft from the Galveston Beach Patrol and a boat from the Galveston County Sheriff's Marine Division also assisted with the search. In the second case, the Coast Guard ended the search for a man who fell off a fishing boat 18 miles southeast of Cameron, La. The 35-year-old male fell overboard from the 88-foot fishing vessel Bao Ngoc Tuesday at about 4 p.m. Tuesday. The Coast Guard received a mayday from the Bao Ngoc after the man fell overboard. The Coast Guard Cutter Manowar, an 87-foot patrol boat from Galveston and an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Houston, two good samaritans and a helicopter from a nearby oil rig conducted numerous searches.