Coast Guard suspends search for man and fiancée missing off Oceanside

Date: May 10, 2008



Coast Guard suspends search for man and fiancée missing off Oceanside

SAN DIEGO -- Coast Guard officials suspended the search for a man and his fiancée missing off the coast of Oceanside, Calif., tonight at 5:30 p.m.

Josh Hartman, 28, and his fiancée, Ana Martin, 30, both of Oceanside, left Oceanside Harbor Thursday morning at 7:30 to go fishing until 3 p.m. At 8 p.m., Hartman's father and brother reported them missing to the Coast Guard, and searches began.

MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters from Sector San Diego and C-130 aircraft from Air Station Sacramento did shoreline and drift pattern searches Thursday night and throughout Friday. Upon learning that the 32-foot fishing vessel Pelican turned up abandoned on a beach in Mexico, the Coast Guard was granted permission by the Mexican navy to conduct a search off the Mexican coast this morning. Mexican navy aircraft and vessels also assisted in the search today.

After 45 hours of a multi-agency search effort including Oceanside Harbor Patrol and Mexican navy assets, the search was suspended pending further information about the couple's whereabouts.

The U.S. Coast Guard has flown 29 hours with a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and HC-130 Hercules fixed wing aircraft covering 6,419 square miles of ocean.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of both Mr. Hartman and Ms. Martin," said Cmdr. Danny LeBlanc, acting Sector Commander. "Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time."