He left the Florida Keys for Bimini last week. Now, the Coast Guard says he’s missing.
The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a man who disappeared after leaving the Florida Keys on his sailboat last Thursday on his way to the Bahamas.
Ward Stogdill left Boot Key, in the Middle Keys city of Marathon, at 5:30 a.m. aboard his 30-foot vessel Bella Dawn. The 51-year-old last made contact at 10:30 a.m. that day, according to the Coast Guard. His destination was Bimini.
He posted a Facebook Live video at 8:03 a.m. where he showed himself sailing in the morning light and explained his itinerary:
“We’re heading towards the Gulfstream, me and Bella Dawn. We got two sails all the way up. It’s like five-foot seas. Beautiful wind. But, it’s supposed to get gnarley later on today. I’m going to Biscayne and wait for a good weather window because I’m ascared that I’m going to get clobbered right outside of Bimini if I go today, and I don’t feel like it. Plus, I need to take another COVID test because it expired today. It’s been five days today, and I’m not going to get there in time to check it. That means they would turn me away, and I would have to come back anyway. So, kind of a no-brainer.”
The Coast Guard said it has boat and air crews searching for the Bella Dawn. Also participating in the search are the U.S. Air Force and the Civil Air Patrol, according to the Coast Guard.
The boat has a fiberglass hull, painted white, with brown trim. Stogdill also has an 18-foot orange kayak on board the vessel, the Coast Guard said.
Stogdill’s sister, Dawn Singleton, for whom the boat is named, said her brother is an experienced sailor who lives on the vessel. With the Coast Guard likely to call its search off soon, she is urging other boaters to be on the lookout for the boat.
“He’s out there somewhere. We want him found,” Singleton said.
She said her brother packed enough provisions to be on the water for months. He planned to go to Bimini and obtain a six-month visa.
“He lives on his boat. That’s his home. He’s self-contained,” Singleton said. “We’re trying to stay positive that something happened to the boat, but he is fine.”
Although the family would like the Coast Guard to continue searching for Stogdill, Singleton noted that she understands the agency must eventually use its resources elsewhere.
“Our whole family is very appreciative of everyone’s efforts so far,” she said.
The Coast Guard is asking anyone with information about Stogdill to call 305-415-6800.
This story was originally published November 2, 2021 at 2:01 PM with the headline "He left the Florida Keys for Bimini last week. Now, the Coast Guard says he’s missing.."
