INDIAN RIVER SHORES — Coast Guard and local authorities called off a search that lasted more than an hour following reports that an aircraft might have gone down about five miles offshore from Indian River Shores.
No wreckage was reported and officials are reviewing information to get more details on the incident, authorities said.
“We completed a search mission out there, but turned up nothing,” U.S. Coast Guard civilian volunteer Richard Timm said. “There was no sign of anything.”
The incident happened about noon Friday after coast guard officials were alerted to an emergency beacon transmission that went off inside an aircraft. The beacon is an electronic tracking device that will activate if an airplane crashes, Timm said.
It is not uncommon for the devices to accidentally activate, Timm said.
Police got a call from the U.S. Coast Guard about a possible plane crash five miles off the coast of Indian River Shores, Director of Public Safety Rich Rosell said. Coast Guard boats and a helicopter, a sheriff’s helicopter and Indian River Shores units responded to the scene.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission boats also searched the ocean for any debris, spokesman Chad Weber said. The law enforcement officials returned to shore about 1:30 p.m., Rosell said.
The Federal Aviation Administration was not immediately available for comment.
No further details on the incident were available.
This story will be updated.