Office of External Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard

Date: July 20, 2008

Contact:  Lt. Armell Balmaceda
(361) 939-6227

COAST GUARD SEARCHES FOR MISSING KAYAKER 

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The Coast Guard is conducting a search for a 55-year-old man who was reported missing off J.P. Luby beach 2-miles northeast of Padre Island, Texas, this evening.

A watchstander at Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi received a call at 8:10 p.m. from the Corpus Christi Police Department, reporting that a kayaker had not returned from a trip to a nearby oil rig. 

Air Station Corpus Christi launched an HH-65C helicopter rescue crew to search for the missing kayaker. 

The Coast Guard plans to continue its search throughout the evening.