CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. -- The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a missing boater in Charlotte Harbor.
The Coast Guard tells Fox 4 that the boater was last seen fishing in Charlotte Harbor after leaving from the El Jobean boat ramp at 2 PM Thursday afternoon. We now know the missing boat, a 20-foot flats boat, has been found near Jug Creek on the north end of Pine Island, but there are no signs of the boater, 62-year-old Jim Winkler of North Port.
Around 12:30 AM Friday, the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office received a call from Jim's wife, saying he did not return from the trip, and never stayed out past 10 PM.
Multiple agencies are searching for the missing man, including the sheriff's office and Florida Fish and Wildlife, along with the Coast Guard.
PHOTOS: Search for Jim Winkler
According to the Coast Guard, Winkler's last cell phone pink was at 7:01 PM just south of Cape Haze.
