Search Suspended For Missing Man After Boat Flips Over Off Long Island

BABLYON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- The search was suspended late Wednesday for a Babylon man who went missing after a boat flipped over in the Fire Island Inlet offshore from Long Island.

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search around 6:15 p.m. after search and rescue crews combed a 388-square nautical mile area by air and sea, with no results or additional leads.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this difficult time," Coast Guard Capt. Andrew Tucci, commander of Sector Long Island Sound, said in a news release. "We are deeply saddened by this outcome, and we appreciate the dedicated efforts and professionalism of all of those involved in the search."

Around 5:55 p.m., the Coast Guard, the NYPD Special Operations Division, and the Suffolk County police Marine Bureau were called to the inlet after the 23-foot fishing boat overturned, police said.

Two men were rescued and were taken to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip for observation, police said.

But the third boater was not found, WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs reported. The search resumed Wednesday morning.  

NYPD Detective Mike Sileo was the pilot of a search helicopter.

"I was kind of hoping we'd be able to find somebody under (the boat), but that didn't happen," Sileo told WCBS 880's Stephanie Colombini.

A second helicopter scanned the area with an infrared camera to try to detect body heat in the water, but found nothing.

The missing boater had been described as a 50-year-old man from Babylon, who was last seen wearing a green shirt and jeans, the Coast Guard said.

The men who were rescued were described as a 36-year-old man from Wyandanch and a 30-year-old man from Amityville.

The rescued men told authorities their friend never resurfaced after their boat capsized.

The boat was towed to Captrees Marina in Babylon, the Coast Guard said.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the incident.