Coast Guard suspends search for boat

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended the search for a vessel reported to be in distress Sunday on the South Shore off Lindenhurst, after teams were unable to locate the boat or find any evidence confirming the incident was real.

"We're not sure if it's a hoax or not," a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman, Petty Officer 3rd Class Frank Iannazzo-Simmons, said Monday, confirming the search effort had been temporarily suspended.

The search had been initiated after the Coast Guard received a radio distress call from an unknown boat in the Lindenhurst area requested assistance 3:36 p.m. Sunday. Iannazzo-Simmons said he couldn't define the search area.

The Fire Island sector dispatched a 25-foot rescue boat and a helicopter to search the area, but nothing had been found by about 6 p.m., Iannazzo-Simmons said. The search continued into the night.

The Coast Guard said there were no other calls -- and said no evidence was found to corroborate the boat ever existed or had been in trouble.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”