The Coast Guard called off its search on Sunday for a Glen Cove man whose boat was found grounded in Sands Point late Saturday.
Authorities were notified of the grounded 21-foot boat at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. It had the owner’s personal items aboard, including his cellphone, wallet and keys, as well as a dog.
The Coast Guard along with other authorities began searching for the owner, Ralph Fletcher, 58, and searched 225 square nautical miles for about 24 hours before calling off the search at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Mr. Fletcher in this difficult time,” said Capt. Michael Day, commander of the Coast Guard Sector New York Command Center. “Suspending a search is never an easy call to make and was made with deep consideration in this tragic case.”
In addition to various Coast Guard units, the Glen Cove Police Department, the Greenwich (Connecticut) Police Department, the Nassau County Police Department, the New Rochelle Police Department, the New York Fire Department, the Oyster Bay Police Department, the Port Washington Police Department, the Sands Point Police Department and the Westchester Police Department assisted in the search.
