Crews suspend search for missing boater

The U.S Coast Guard has suspended their search for a Canadian boater who was traveling to Bermuda.

 A 67 year-old man, Hubert Marcox, departed on his trip to Bermuda from Halifax aboard his sail boats, Mon Pays on November 9th with all intentions of arriving in Bermuda by Monday.

The Rescue Center Norfolk in conjunction with the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Halifax in Nova Scotia, suspended their search for Marcox on Sunday at approximately 8:22 p.m.

Marcox filed a sail plan with the Halifax Coast Guard Radio Station with his intentions for his trip. When he did not arrive as planned they notified the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Helifax, Tuesday evening.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Center began coordinating the search and requested the assistance of U.S Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center Norfolk.

The Coast Guard said Thursday that the man's sailboat, Mon Pays, is reported to have flares, personal flotation devices, a VHF radio and an 8-foot white dinghy. It doesn't have an electronic position indicating radio beacon.

Norfolk took the lead in coordinating the efforts on Friday evening and more aircraft joined the search efforts. Broadcasts continue to be transmitted along the coast from the United States and Canada using the Immarsat Group Calls , Urgent Marine Information Broadcasts and NAVTEX marine safety broadcasts to notify other mariners of the overdue Marcox.

There have been 38 merchant vessels broadcasting on VHF marine band radio channel 16 to attempt to contact Marcoux. There have been 18 separate aircraft searches covering approximately 152,000-square-nautical miles.

The Canadian and United States aircraft searched 82 hours and came from the following air bases:

Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C.
New York Air National Guard's 106th Rescue Wing
Canadian Air Forces 14 Wing Greenwood in Nova Scotia
Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, Mass.
Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida