A multi-agency search for a missing boater from south Florida ended late Friday when a good Samaritan found a body in the ocean matching the person’s description, U.S. Coast Guard officials said. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers identified the body as 57-year-old Rick Ferazi.
Rick Ferazi’s boat was found about 11 miles east of Hobe Sound. PHOTO PROVIDED BY U.S. COAST GUARD
“With heavy hearts, we offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr. (Ferazi),” Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Carman, a search and rescue mission coordinator, Coast Guard Sector Miami, said in a statement. “We also want to thank our state partners and the public for their assistance with our search efforts.”
Coast Guard crews said Ferazi took off on a solo trip from Lake Worth Inlet on Thursday afternoon to go fishing. Ferazi’s town of residence was not immediately available.
Ferazi’s family reported him missing about 9 p.m. the same day when he didn’t return home, said Nicholas Strasburg, petty officer third-class for the Coast Guard. Coast Guard crews then launched the search for the missing boater.
“He was supposed to return to Murelle Marine near Lake Worth about 6 p.m.,” Strasburg said.
Coast Guard crews located Ferazi’s boat, a 32-foot-long center console vessel, about 2 a.m. Friday 11-to-12 miles east off the coast of Hobe Sound, Strasburg said. Crews put out an alert on social media asking for the public’s help in locating the missing boater.
The Coast Guard used aircrafts and boats to search more than 2,300 square miles in 33 hours. The crews scanned over calm seas and had good visibility during the search, officials said.
U.S. Coast Guard aircrafts and boats searched more than 2,300 square miles for missing boater Rick Ferazi. PHOTO PROVIDED BY U.S. COAST GUARD.
The multi-agency search involved crews from U.S. Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife. Deputies from St. Lucie County, Palm Beach County, Monroe County and North Palm Beach also combed the waters for any sign of Ferazi.
The Samaritan, another boater, found Ferazi’s body about 35 miles northeast of the Sebastian Inlet on Friday night. There were no personal items found near the body, Strasburg said.
Coast Guard crews transferred the body to Florida Fish and Wildlife officials.
Strasburg reminded boaters in distress to radio Channel 16 VHF-FM. The channel is designated by the Federal Communications Commission as the national distress, safety and calling frequency.
“These significantly enhance our ability to get on scene and assist when time is most important,” Strasburg said. Strasburg said boaters can also use the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, which is a device located in the life vest.
Boaters can turn on the beacon, allowing coast guard to follow their locations.
“We can track the signal. It provides the precise location,” Strasburg said. “Most boating outlets provide the beacons. They are readily available in the commercial market.”