The search for the three missing boaters, 40-year-old John Dimmick, 28-year-old Mark Valdez, and 25-year-old Cory Bicchinella, reported missing in the vicinity of Prince William Sound on Tuesday morning ended successfully.

The boaters had been reported overdue from a two day fishing trip that began on Sunday and was to end on Monday night. The report went in to the watchstanders at the Coast Guard Command Center in Anchorage. As a result watchstanders immediately launched the cutter Long Island from Valdez, as well as a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium, and a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter was diverted from another incident to participate in the search.

The MH-60 Jayhawk located the missing boaters in their Bayliner, they were anchored in Lower Passage on the north side of Knight Island. The boaters reported engine problems and related that they were unable to return as planned.

The cutter Long Island remained with the stricken vessel to assess the condition of it and the boaters. The were no reports of injuries.

“The Coast Guard encourages mariners to have multiple means of communications to contact help in emergencies,” said Sector Anchorage Command Center Search and Rescue Coordinator Michael McNeil. “The Coast Guard also highly encourages boaters to file float plans with their family or friends letting them know planned routes and destinations, planned dates as well as safety and communications gear available.”

  Alaska, boaters, Coast Guard, knight island, prince william sound, search