Coast Guard calls off search for downed plane with two on board
After searching a huge swath of the Atlantic Ocean 23 miles east of Palm Beach for more than 32 hours, the Coast Guard said Sunday it is calling off a search for a downed plane with two people inside.
On Friday, the Coast Guard said a small aircraft, a Piper Saratoga, crashed at about 1 p.m as it headed to the Bahamas from the Lantana airport in Palm Beach County. Wreckage was not found.
One of those on board was longtime Florida veterinarian Ken Simmons, the Palm Beach post reported.
”Suspending a search is one of the most difficult decisions we ever have to make, and it is never made lightly,” said Capt Mark Vlaun, deputy commander of Coast Guard Sector Miami said in a news release. “We have been in regular contact with the family members throughout our search efforts and extend our sympathies for what we know is a very difficult time for them.”
The Coast Guard, along with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and other partner agencies, used helicopters and boats to search nearly 1,200 square nautical miles (about 1,400 miles).
This story was originally published February 3, 2019 at 3:53 PM.
