Search suspended for missing boaters after body of one found in Texas, officials say

UPDATE: A missing boater was found dead and crews called off the search for a second missing person, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The decision comes after the body of one of the two boaters was found, and as the Texas coast prepares for Tropical Storm Beryl to make landfall on Sunday night or Monday morning.

“We offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends affected by this tragic incident,” Coast Guard Capt. Nicole Rodriguez said in a July 7 news release. “It is one of the hardest decisions to call off an active search. We are grateful to have rescued three survivors and thankful for the assistance of our partners in the Houston-Galveston area.”

The original story continues below:

As Tropical Storm Beryl closes in on Texas, a search is underway for two people missing after a boat crashed near Galveston, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Five people were onboard the vessel when it slammed into a North Galveston jetty on the night of Friday, July 5, the Coast Guard said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Three were taken to a hospital for treatment, and two occupants were missing.

Both of them landed in the water, officials told KHOU.

The Coast Guard and “local partner agencies” are assisting in the search, rescuers said.

A body was found on Saturday, nonprofit Texas Equusearch told KTRK, but officials have not confirmed whether it is one of the two missing boaters.

Family members are worried the window for rescue, or recovery, is closing as Beryl makes its way toward the Texas Gulf Coast, they told the station.

Galveston Bay is under a storm surge watch, and the storm is expected to make landfall on Sunday night or Monday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. Beryl is gaining strength, and experts believe it will be upgraded to a hurricane by the time it hits the Texas coast.

This story was originally published July 7, 2024 at 7:57 AM with the headline "Search suspended for missing boaters after body of one found in Texas, officials say."