Rescue teams search for boaters who went missing off Tybee Island during storm
Savannah area emergency officials are searching for boaters who went missing off Tybee Island during Tuesday night’s storm.
Coast Guard officials received reports of an overturned 47-foot fishing vessel Miss Debbie around 6:22 p.m Tuesday approximately one mile northeast of Tybee Island. The deployed a 45-foot rescue ship and helicopter during search efforts starting around 7:35 p.m.
Savannah firefighters deployed rescue boats to help the Coast Guard around 8:20 p.m. Tuesday, according to Twitter.
#BREAKING members from Marine 1 and Rescue 1 are on the way to #Tybee for an over turned fishing vessel with people in the water #rescue
— IAFF574 Savannah (@IAFF574) May 24, 2017
Savannah fire and rescue teams returned to shore after midnight when conditions worsened, while the Coast Guard continued search operations into Wednesday.
There is no word on how many boaters were aboard, WSAV reports.
Georgia and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources are also assisting search efforts.
A likely tornado passed through Chatham County, Ga., around 6 p.m. Tuesday and then headed to sea, according to the National Weather Service.
This story was originally published May 24, 2017 at 10:23 AM with the headline "Rescue teams search for boaters who went missing off Tybee Island during storm."