Coast Guard continues search for missing Vero Beach man whose boat washed up in Melbourne Beach
U.S. Coast Guard officials continued to search throughout the day Friday for a Vero Beach man after his boat washed up in Melbourne Beach Wednesday afternoon with its engine still running.
Dale Hossfield, 68, of Vero Beach left for a solo boat trip from Fort Pierce Inlet at about 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to Coast Guard officials. The Coast Guard was alerted that his 29-foot boat had washed ashore in Melbourne Beach without him at 5:45 p.m. that evening.
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Indian River County records show Hossfield lives at an address just southwest of Vero Beach city limits and owns a rental home in the county.
Thursday, Indian River County sheriff's deputies went to Hossfield's home.
No one answered a TCPalm reporter's knocks on Hossfield's door, and neighbors nearby did not answer knocks at their doors either.
The Coast Guard's search began Wednesday night and has continued through Friday, with Florida Fish and Wildlife and Brevard County Sheriff's Office assisting, said Petty Officer Jose Hernandez.
Friday, the Coast Guard had two cutters, a small boat and an aircraft searching near Melbourne Beach, Hernandez said.
He said they're focusing their efforts near Melbourne Beach, but, because they will be adapting their search with any new information, the area being searched is constantly changing.
He did not have a specific timeframe for how long they will continue searching and said they will search until they have "exhausted all resources."
Hossfield retired from Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City. Records from New York show he has long enjoyed the outdoors. He owned at least one boat there, and he had a fishing license there as of 2014.
Anyone with information about Hossfield's whereabouts is being asked to contact Coast Guard Sector Miami command center at 305-535-4472.
TCPalm/Treasure Coast Newspapers reporter Lamaur Stancil contributed to this report.
Finch Walker is a Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Missing boater: Coast Guard continues search for Vero Beach man
