HOLLAND, Mich. — Searchers with the US Coast Guard (USCG) located the missing boat about 32 miles west of Grand Haven Wednesday afternoon, but efforts continue to locate the fisherman.
The USCG says 61-year-old David Split was reported missing in Lake Michigan Tuesday night. Split was last seen near Grand Haven, but the last ping on his cell phone was near Holland.
A helicopter crew from the US Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City located the missing fishing boat unoccupied Wednesday afternoon.
"We've expanded the area to cover and about 1800 Square nautical miles, which is a space about the size of Delaware," said Chief Petty Officer John Masson.
In a press release sent out shortly after midnight, the USCG says watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan received notification at 8:10 p.m. that Split was overdue. They say he was last seen leaving Spring Lake in a 29-foot Blue Sea Sundancer, named A&A.
Just before 3:30 a.m., a Coast Guard representative told 13 ON YOUR SIDE that the search is split up right now in two areas: Offshore near Grand Haven where Split normally fishes, and the area where Lake Macatawa feeds into Lake Michigan, which is where they last got a ping on Split's cell phone.
The Coast Guard says it has both water vessels and aircraft searching for Split, and search conditions are expected to be favorable into the morning.
The Coast Guard also says that boaters carrying proper safety equipment can assist in emergency situations, and that there are several factors being utilized by the Coast Guard in the search.
"It's always essential that we we search as rapidly and effectively as we can. Some things that can help us with those efforts are you know, safety gear, you know, personal locator beacons that boaters often have that can provide us some real time information about where they're located. In this case, we're searching based on the last name location and drift patterns and weather factors," said Masson.
Search crews from Traverse City, Elizabeth City and North Carolina searched overnight.
A Canadian C-130 also joined the search Wednesday morning.
13 ON YOUR SIDE is working to get more information on this developing story. We will update this story as new details become available.
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