Dad Reported Missing Over 24 Hours After He Went Surfing and Never Returned. Rescuers Found Him Stranded, but Alive

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• The Coast Guard said authorities were notified Jan. 9 of a missing 68-year-old man who did not return to his Airbnb in Puerto Rico.

• The man’s daughter said her father had gone surfing near Surfer’s Beach the day before.

• He was later found and rescued by helicopter.

68 year old man I went surfing in Puerto Rico The person, who was reported missing when he did not return, was found alive 30 hours later.

In a statement made over the weekend, Coast Guard He said they first heard that the man was missing on Friday, January 9, when he failed to return to his Airbnb. At this point he had already been missing for over 24 hours.

Authorities who spoke with his daughter confirmed that the man went surfing near Surfer’s Beach in Aguadilla around noon local time on Thursday, January 8, and had not been heard from since then.

The maritime law enforcement agency said, with assistance from other authorities, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter was dispatched from Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen to search the coastline and offshore north of Aguadilla.

“During their search of the shoreline, the helicopter crew located an individual matching the description of the missing surfer stranded on the cliffs outside Surfer’s Beach, next to a surfboard, attempting to signal the aircraft,” the Coast Guard said, explaining that “due to the surrounding rocks, reefs and sea conditions, this location was inaccessible on foot or by boat.”

The Coast Guard later shared footage of the 68-year-old man holding on to canes as he walked towards safety.

He was then placed on a stretcher and removed by the rescue helicopter.

“The aircrew executed a flawless lift operation and safely rescued the occupant despite difficult night conditions and low visibility,” the agency added.

Capt. Robert Stiles, deputy sector commander for Coast Guard Sector San Juan, who coordinated the search and rescue mission, welcomed the outcome in a press release.

“As soon as we received the information, especially after realizing that more than 24 hours had passed, we activated interagency search and rescue efforts,” Stiles said. “It was truly a team effort, and I appreciate the responsiveness and professionalism of Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen, Sector San Juan Command Center, and our local emergency response teams.”

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Stiles encouraged those entering the water to have a plan, wear appropriate life-saving equipment and tell someone in advance what they plan to do.

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