Search Ends For Missing Kite-Surfer Off Jersey Shore; Tragic Trend Continues

The search has ended for a missing kite-surfer off the Jersey Shore in what appears to be another in a long series of tragic incidents happening this summer in New Jersey waters.

The search for Sinisa Bjelajac, 44, of Hoboken was was suspended at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday after the Coast Guard said it searched an area from Sandy Hook, to Coney Island, N.Y.

In all, Coast Guard and partner agency crews searched more than 150 square miles. Coast Guard assets logged approximately 30 combined total search hours while conducting separate search patterns, according to a news release.

“Suspending a search is one of the most difficult decisions we have to make,” said Cmdr. Brian Murphy, Sector New York search and rescue mission coordinator. "After heavily saturating the area with Coast Guard and partner agency assets, we have suspended the active search. We will resume searching if any new information is obtained which would assist us in locating the missing kite surfer.”

The news comes after police reported Friday that two more people died in this week, becoming the 26th and 27th people to die in New Jersey waters this summer. The deaths have prompted calls for people to use better common sense and lawmakers to search for ways to better protect swimmers.

Nine have died in New Jersey this week alone.

Read more: 28 Die In New Jersey Water Deaths In 3 Months As Trend Continues

At approximately 5 p.m. Friday, watchstanders from Coast Guard Sector New York command center received a report over the radio from a boater stating they witnessed a kite surfer in distress near Horseshoe Cove in the Gateway National Park, according to the relese.

The boater stated he located an unconscious man attached to a kite in a harness. As the boater tried to pull the kite surfer from the water, a large gust of wind pulled the kite line out of his hands and he lost site of the unconscious man in the water.

The command center issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast (UMIB) and launched a rescue crew from Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook. The kite surfer was described as being a white male with dark hair and wearing black shorts.

Patch file photo