HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A body was found Tuesday in the area where the Coast Guard had been searching for a man missing when a fishing vessel overturned Monday in Cedar Bayou near Baytown.
The man is the sole missing person after his three companions were rescued Monday afternoon. Authorities have not said that the body found is that of the missing man.
The Coast Guard says the agency, along with Chambers County Sheriff's Office, Port of Houston Fire Department, and Harris County Dive Team, covered more than 38 square miles with no sign of the missing man.
The agency called off the search early Tuesday afternoon.
"We conducted 13 sorties and searched more than 17 hours for the missing man, saturating the area with both aircraft and boats," said Zack Edwards, the command duty officer at Sector Houston-Galveston. "Unfortunately, we did not locate him and have suspended the search. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."
The Coast Guard said the four people were in the 41-foot fishing vessel, Mr. Anthony, at around 3:30 p.m. Monday when it somehow capsized. Searching by air and boat, the Coast Guard and the Baytown Fire Department teamed up to rescue the first two people -- a 13-year-old boy and a 53-year-old man -- early on while they were on top of the boat.
The rescue of the third person, a 20-year-old woman, was seen on KPRC Local 2 News from the air by Sky 2. After finding a crack in the hull of the capsized boat, crews were able cut it open and rescue her before resuming the search for the fourth person.
The woman was trapped under the vessel for about two-and-a-half hours before crews made it to her.
The three individuals were taken by Baytown EMS to a local hospital and are reported in stable condition.
"The water, especially in the Ship Channel, the currents are pretty bad," said fisherman Roque Garcia.
It's unknown how the boat overturned, but Garcia, who said he fishes in the area two to three times a week, said the water in the channel and the bayou can be treacherous.
"There's riptides, there's underground currents," said Garcia. "The current underneath the water is the one that's bad. And it's always there no matter the weather conditions or not. And all these big ships coming through here, that makes it worse."
The Coast Guard says the Cedar Bayou Channel remains closed for salvage efforts.
Authorities have not identified any of the people involved.