Search Suspended For Boaters Missing Near Groton: Coast Guard

NEW HAVEN, CT — Coast Guard officials said late Monday night they had suspended their search for two boaters reported missing near Groton on Sunday.

According to a news release, Spencer Mugford, 21, and Sophia McKenna, 20, were last seen aboard a white tandem kayak via social media Sunday at 2 a.m. They were reported missing at 6:30 p.m. that night.

Officials said search crews found a 14-foot white and blue sailboat with no mast on Truman Beach near Greenport, N.Y., which they believe belonged to Mugford and McKenna.

“Suspending a search for missing or overdue boaters is never an easy decision to make after an extensive search,” Cmdr. Andrew Ely, chief of response, Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound, said in a release. “We search for every person as if we are searching for one of our own. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Spencer Mugford and Sophia McKenna.”

See also: Missing Kayakers IDed, Search Continues Near Groton

Officials said Mugford's parents reported him missing to the City of Groton Police Department after he failed to make an event Sunday morning. The pair’s departure point was unknown and there was no response from their cell phones.

The Coast Guard, along with state and local agencies, searched 2,025 square-miles for a total of 71 hours before suspending the search, officials said.

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