Coast Guard Suspends Search For 2 FL Boaters; 1 Rescued

MIAMI — The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for two missing boaters along the South Florida coast Wednesday night after searching an area about the size of Maryland.

A third boater, identified as 31-year-old Adnan J. Diaz, was rescued Sunday night by the crew of a good Samaritan vessel.

The missing boaters were identified as 38-year-old Luis Rivas Engrova and 26-year-old Ylianet Ibañez.

"The survivor stated he and the other two people encountered a storm, which capsized their vessel Friday," the Coast Guard said. "The survivor began to swim for help while the other two boaters remained with the capsized vessel with life jackets on."

The Coast Guard said crews searched an area of 10,064 square miles. Diaz was found around 9:30 p.m. Sunday near Miami's Biscayne Bay after being adrift for two days.

Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission notified the Coast Guard of the overdue 23-foot Blue Proline vessel with three people aboard shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday.

"The vessel and people departed from Caribbean Club in Key Largo, Thursday," according to the Coast Guard. "The watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast in both English and Spanish."

The good Samaritan vessel transferred Diaz to a Miami Fire Rescue Boat crew, which confirmed the man to be one of the three missing boaters.

"The Miami Fire Boat crew took him to Jackson Memorial Hospital for further medical care," according to the Coast Guard.

The search team for the missing boaters included:

• Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crews
• Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater HC-130 Hercules airplane crews
• Coast Guard Auxiliary airplane crew
• Coast Guard Cutter William Trump (WPC-1111)
• Coast Guard Cutter Cochito (WPB-87306)
• Coast Guard Cutter Finback (WPB-87314)
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
• Miami-Dade Police Department