The following is text of a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard:
UPDATE
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) — The Coast Guard suspended its search Wednesday evening for the missing crewmember aboard the vessel Cristi that sank in the La Quinta Channel near Ingleside, Texas.
Coast Guard crews searched over 143 square miles for approximately 31 hours.
“Our hearts are with his family and friends during this difficult time as it is never an easy decision to suspend a search for a missing loved one,” said Chief Warrant Officer Homar Barrera, search and rescue mission coordinator at Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi.
Due to the location of the sunken vessel, the La Quinta Channel remains closed to vessel traffic at this time.
Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi personnel are coordinating vessel salvage and pollution response efforts. The cause of the vessel sinking is currently under investigation.
Involved in the response are:
• Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi MH-65 Dolphin helicopter air crew
• Crew of Coast Guard cutter Manta
• Coast Guard Station Port Aransas 45-foot response boat-medium boat crew
• Port of Corpus Christi Police Department
• Texas Parks & Wildlife Department side-scan sonar vessel
• Port Aransas Police Department divers
• United States Army Corps of Engineers
PREVIOUS REPORT
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) — The Coast Guard is searching for a missing crewmember after a vessel sank in the La Quinta Channel near Ingleside, Texas, on Tuesday morning.
Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi watch standers received notification that the vessel Cristi sank approximately 100 yards north of Ingleside Point at 10:30 a.m. Two men were reported to be working onboard the vessel when it sank. One crewmember was recovered by a good Samaritan vessel with no reported medical concerns. The search is ongoing for the other crewmember.
Due to the location of the sunken vessel, the La Quinta Channel was closed to vessel traffic.
Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi personnel are coordinating vessel salvage and pollution response efforts. The cause of the vessel sinking is currently under investigation.
Involved in the search are:
Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi MH-65 Dolphin helicopter air crew
The crew of Coast Guard cutter Manta
Coast Guard Station Port Aransas 45-foot response boat-medium boat crew
Port of Corpus Christi Police Department
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department side-scan sonar vessel
Anyone with any information is requested to contact the Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi command center at (361) 939-0450.
