As of Tuesday evening, September 24 , the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for a man who reportedly entered the water after falling off his boat near Heckscher State Park, New York according to a statement released by Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound.
An alert was received from Suffolk County Fire Rescue Emergency Services (FRES) on Monday night, September 23 at approximately 11 p.m. of a man in his mid-forties falling overboard from his boat and not resurfacing. Coast Guard Station Fire Island, Coast Guard Station Jones Beach, Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod and the Coast Guard Auxiliary utilized multiple assists and conducted search patterns spanning a total of 234 square miles. Personnel and assets from Suffolk County FRES, Suffolk County Marine, Suffolk County Aviation, Great River Fire Department and Sea Tow also participated in the search effort.
Suffolk County Police later released the identity of the missing man as Samuel Gutierrez, 47, of East Islip. Gutierrez, was aboard a 34-foot Fountain boat with two female passengers when he went overboard without a life jacket and never resurfaced. The women, who could not operate the boat, called for help.
“Suspending a search for missing or overdue boaters is never an easy decision to make,” said Capt. Kevin Reed, commander Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound. “We search for every person as if we are searching for one of our own and my heart is with the friends and families who have been impacted by this unfortunate circumstance.”
UPDATE: Mr. Gutierrez’s body was discovered near the Great River area after police received a 911 call at approximately 2 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon – less than 20 hours after the search was suspended.
