UPDATE: Coast Guard continues search for overdue boaters

[The Patriot]

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — The Coast Guard has searched approximately 12,000 square miles and conducted more than 45 search patterns in the search for two overdue boaters, Sunday, off the coast of Myrtle Beach.

The overdue boaters are Joseph McFadden, 77 years old, and Michael Lawrence, 61 years old. Both have been missing since Wednesday.

Crewmembers aboard various assets from Coast Guard Air Facility Charleston, S.C., Air Station Savannah, Ga., Air Station Clearwater, Fla., and Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., have participated in the search. The Coast Guard Auxiliary has also contributed an airplane in the search.

Other agencies that have been involved in the search include crews from the North Charleston Police Department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

Charleston County Consolidated Dispatch first notified the Coast Guard Sector Charleston's command center of the overdue boaters Thursday morning. The missing boaters had reportedly departed on a fishing trip, in the vicinity of the Charleston Jetties, Wednesday morning and were scheduled to return Wednesday evening. By Thursday the pair was overdue and their truck and trailer were found still parked at the pier at Remleys Point, S.C.

Anyone with any information that could assist search crews are urged to contact the Coast Guard Sector Charleston command center at: 843-740-7050.

For more information contact the Coast Guard 7th District Public Affairs Detachment Jacksonville at 305-318-1864.

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