Sailboat headed to Florida vanishes after leaving NC’s Outer Banks, Coast Guard says

UPDATE: The Atrevida II was found powerless and adrift 214 miles off Delaware on Dec. 13. The two men aboard were rescued by a passing tanker, the U.S. Coast Guard says. The original story is below.

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a sailboat last seen 10 days ago, when it stopped along North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

Two people are aboard: Kevin Hyde, 65, and Joe Ditomasso, 76, the Coast Guard said in a Dec. 12 news release.

Hometowns for the two men have not been released.

“Coast Guard Fifth District command center watchstanders received a report Sunday (Dec. 11) that the 30-foot, blue and white sailing vessel ‘Atrevida II’ had not been heard from since Dec. 3 when it departed Oregon Inlet, North Carolina,” the Coast Guard reported.

“The vessel is transiting from Cape May, New Jersey, to Marathon, Florida, with a planned port call in Jupiter, Florida. ... Due to the large search area, the case was transferred to the Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command Center.”

The boat may have made a stop in Morehead City, N.C., “but this is not confirmed,” officials said. Morehead City is about 100 miles southwest of Oregon Inlet.

Coast Guard air and sea search crews have been launched out of North Carolina, Florida and Rhode Island, officials said.

Investigators have also alerted marinas in Georgia and Florida to be on the lookout for the boat, which has “a bluish-purple hull, with a white superstructure, and white sails.”

This story was originally published December 12, 2022 at 11:58 AM with the headline "Sailboat headed to Florida vanishes after leaving NC’s Outer Banks, Coast Guard says."