MARBLEHEAD — A boater, whose empty kayak was found three miles off the Marblehead coast Saturday, has been found safe.
The U.S. Coast Guard was told about the unmarked, 10-foot, grey, green and black kayak that contained a dead cellphone at about 11:40 a.m. The search was suspended after the phone was charged and the kayak’s owner was reached, officials said.
The expensive two-hour search involved a 47-foot motor lifeboat crew from Coast Guard Station Gloucester and an MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew from Air Station Cape Cod.
“Search efforts like these are a costly reminder for paddleboard, canoe and kayak owners, as well as rental companies, to ensure all their crafts are marked with detailed contact info to avoid triggering an unnecessary search,” said Petty Officer First Class Andrew Sanchez, an operations specialist at the First Coast Guard District Command Center, in a statement.
The hourly expense of operating a Jayhawk helicopter is about $11,000 and a motor lifeboat is about $3,000.
“If-found stickers are provided by the Coast Guard if needed, but simply writing a name and number in permanent marker would help in these situations,” he said.
The Coast Guard reminds all boaters and paddlers to prepare for the worst case scenario, as conditions can change rapidly in New England.