Coast Guard looking around Fox Island after distress call from young girl

The News Tribune • Published July 23, 2008

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A U.S. Coast Guard aircraft was searching the waters around Fox Island this morning after a young girl radioed the agency and reported a relative was in trouble Tuesday night.

So far, searchers have found no sign of the girl or the relative after hours of searching, U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Jeff Poolinger said this morning.

The girl called the Coast Guard about 6 p.m. Tuesday using VHF Ch. 16, a radio channel that boaters can use to directly contact the Coast Guard if they need assistance. She reported a relative was in the water and possibly unconscious, Poolinger said.

The girl did not provide her location and the Coast Guard has not heard from her since the initial call. The Coast Guard launched a helicopter from Port Angeles and a 40-foot utility boat from Seattle. Crews searched for about seven hours Tuesday night but found no boater in distress, Poolinger said.

An aircraft resumed the search this morning and was focusing on the Fox Island area in Pierce County. Officials have determined that’s where the girl’s call likely came from.

They also are investigating whether the call was related to two green flares that were spotted Tuesday night in the same area. Normally, red flares are used by boaters in distress, Poolinger said.

"We don’t know if both cases are related," he said.

The Coast Guard is broadcasting an emergency message, asking boaters in the area to "keep a sharp lookout and report anything to the Coast Guard," Poolinger said.