The Wrightsville Beach Fire Department suspended its active search for a missing swimmer who was last seen Thursday morning, but not reported missing by his family until the afternoon.
The U.S. Coast Guard would check the waters off of Wrightsville Beach periodically with helicopter patrols and infrared sensors, Fire Chief Glen Rogers said, and town police would search the shoreline as part of their night patrols on the beach.
The man in his 50s was seen entering the water near the Carolina Yacht Club between 9-9:30 a.m.,  Rogers said, but was not reported missing until about 5:15 p.m., after family members started an early afternoon search when he didn’t return as expected.
A bag of items believed to be his was found near lifeguard stand no.8 and the man’s car was found parked nearby. The man was last seen before lifeguards went on duty at 10 a.m. and there were no reports of a distressed swimmer.
At two police vehicles, a truck from the fire department and Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue searched the entire island beach strand over the course of the next three hours, Rogers said, with the search being suspended once the light had faded.
Rogers did not know if the man was local or a visitor, but he said it was believed he routinely comes to the beach and was expected by his family earlier in the day. The man was not believed to be a strong swimmer.
Drowning victims can sometimes be underwater for several days before surfacing, Rogers said, and if they remain buoyant, the current can carry them for several miles, noting that Figure Eight Island and Topsail Beach were requested to make their own searches of the shoreline.
