MADISON — The U.S. Coast Guard said that around 10:15 a.m., the search for boaters was suspended. Nothing was found in the area except for the three kayaks, and they will not be searching again unless something new develops.
They said three kayaks were found just off the coast of Madison using an aircraft they brought in from Cape Cod Thursday morning.
According to the Coast Guard, nobody was found inside those kayaks that were spotted in the area of Long Island Sound off Madison, after red flares were reported being seen Wednesday night just before midnight. The Coast Guard said they aren’t sure if the kayaks are connected to the flare sighting.
The Coast Guard has a 45-foot boat that was out searching for possible boaters in distress. Last night they received assistance from emergency responders in Clinton, Madison, Westbrook and Guilford after two callers reported seeing the flares. Additional boats made their way to the scene from New Haven to assess the situation and were there for the remainder of the morning.
U.S. Coast Guard says paddle sports continue to be the fastest growing segment of recreational boating, with more than 300,000 paddles crafts being sold annually. They urge all paddle craft owners to label their kayaks, canoes, and paddle-boards to reduce unnecessary search and rescue cases.
Anyone with information regarding the unmanned kayaks are encouraged to call Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound Command Center at 203-468-4401.
