MARCO ISLAND, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a 70-year-old man after his empty boat was found off the coast of Englewood. Bert Erwin was last seen nearly 100 miles away on Marco Island and has been missing since Monday.
The Florida Stone Crabbers Association says Erwin had purchased a new Stonecrab boat and was transporting it to Indian Rocks Beach in St. Petersburg.
Erwin had stopped at Rose Marina dock on Marco Island to get fuel and took off at around noon on Monday, the Rose Marina said. Hours later there was no sign of him.
The Coast Guard began searching for him and located his empty vessel on Thursday afternoon.
In a post on X, U.S. Coast Guard Southeast said its crews located the disabled 37-foot vessel with no one aboard, 28 miles off Englewood.
"I hope they find him. Hopefully, I don't know, that's a pretty tragic story. Sounds like it won't end well," one person at the Rose Marina told Fox 4, reacting to the situation.
The USCG says its crews are now searching for a possible person in the water.
