Coast Guard Says Hakken Boat Left Madeira Beach April 3

As the search for Cole and Chase Hakken takes to the waters around Tampa Bay, the U.S. Coast Guard is confirming that the boat in the search left Madeira Beach April 3.

“If anyone sees it, we don’t want them to approach it,” said Lt. Mike Persun of the U.S. Coast Guard’s St. Petersburg Sector.

Instead, Persun said, boaters should call 911 or the sector directly at 727-824-7506.

Authorities have described the children’s parents, Joshua and Sharyn Hakken, as “armed and dangerous.”

Officials from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced April 5 that the Hakken family might be traveling by boat.

Read all stories related to the abduction

The search for Chase and Cole Hakken, 2 and 4 respectively, began on Wednesday after they were taken from their grandmother’s Shady Shores Drive home in the Lake Magdalene area of Carrollwood. Deputies have said that Joshua Hakken, 35, lost custody of the children just before the kidnapping.

Sharyn Hakken, 34, the boys' mother and Joshua's wife, is believed to be with her family. Her role in the abduction remains unclear.

Authorities now have reason to believe the family may be traveling with the children on a 1972, 25-foot Morgan sailboat. The boat has the registration number of FL3717BK and has a blue hull.

The boat in question is named “Salty” and has a picture of a paw near the hull on both sides, according to a FDLE media release. The stern also has “St. Petersburg” written on it in white letters. The vessel has a blue Bimini top and when its sail is unfurled it is white with blue trim.

Anyone who spots the Hakken family or the boat is asked to call 911. Boaters can also contact the Coast Guard at 727-824-7506.