Coast Guard suspends search for two missing Naples boaters

The United States Coast Guard suspended the search for two missing Naples boaters on Wednesday evening. They have been missing off the southeastern coast of Florida since Sunday afternoon.

Just after 6:40 p.m. on Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search for two missing boaters. The two boaters were among the three people from Naples who were aboard the 23-foot Blue Proline vessel that departed from Caribbean Club in Key Largo on Thursday.

Three days later, the vessel capsized. Adnan J. Diaz, 31, was rescued around 9:30 p.m. when a good Samaritan on a vessel found him near Biscayne Bay. However, two other people, Luis Rivas Engrova, 38, and Ylianet Ibañez, 26, have not been recovered.

Diaz was taken by the good Samaritan to a Miami Fire Boat. From there, he went to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Diaz told officials the group encountered a storm that capsized the boat. According to a Coast Guard news release, the survivor swam away for help while the two remaining boaters remained with the vessel with life jackets on them.

Photos of the capsized boat surfaced on family social media pages, with comments in Spanish that were asking for any good news on the Coast Guard search. Relatives are seeking information on their missing loved ones. Engrobda’s cousin said it had been a hard time for her and her family as she is not only family but neighbors with Engroba. They want answers, but the odds are against their hope for a happy ending.

The Coast Guard and partner agencies searched a total of approximately 10,064 square miles, which is approximately the size of Maryland, the news release states. The search is suspended, pending the development of new information. Christopher Eddy, search and rescue mission coordinator at Coast Guard 7th District, said, “making the decision to suspend is never easy.”