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Coast Guard suspends search for missing boater off Southeast Georgia coast

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is suspending its search for a boater missing in the vicinity of the Altamaha Sound.

The Coast Guard suspended its search for Charles Morgan, 61, on Tuesday night. Charles Morgan was one of two boaters clinging to an overturned vessel off the Southeast Georgia coast on Sunday afternoon.

A Coast Guard helicopter crew hoisted Cliff Morgan from the water after they located him and the overturned 19-foot boat 12 miles east of Altamaha Sound on Sunday around 2:15 p.m.

The Coast Guard continued its search for Charles Morgan. Crews searched a 7- to 23-mile radius Monday off the coast of St. Simons Island.

Crews began to search for them after Charles' girlfriend called police around 10:15 a.m. on Sunday.

The men left Champney River Boat Ramp off Highway 17 to fish at an artificial reef nine miles offshore around 7 a.m. on Saturday. They planned to return Saturday evening.

The boaters' truck and trailer were found at Champney Boat Launch.

The search covered nearly 4,586 square nautical miles and spanned a period of 56 hours.

"Suspending a search is never a decision that comes easily or that I take lightly," said Capt. Gary Tomasulo, Commander, Coast Guard Sector Charleston, in a release. "We stand by and support the family and offer our support in this time of need. I’d like to thank our local partners whose dedication and cooperation were much appreciated in our joint effort."

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