Search Continues for Three Missing University of Rhode Island Students in Narragansett Bay
The search continues in Narragansett Bay for the three missing students who were last seen leaving a party and getting into a row boat in the early morning hours. They have not been seen from since.
The missing students — Daniel Donahue, 20; Geoffrey Wilkes, 18; and Fandia Shloul, 21 — left a small off-campus party early Monday morning and launched a borrowed row boat in heavy fog.
Search and dive teams have continued their efforts to locate the missing students to no avail. The Coast Guard called off a rescue effort on Tuesday.
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is leading the search with help from the State Police and Narragansett authorities.
(Boston Globe)
Coast Guard ends search for missing R.I. students
NARRAGANSETT, R.I. — The Coast Guard called off its search Tuesday evening for three University of Rhode Island students who disappeared after taking a row boat out on Narragansett Bay.
The halt came after two days of efforts by federal, state and local officials to find Daniel Donahue, 20, Geoffrey Wilkes, 18, and Fandia Shloul, 21.
Even though the searches have been called off, the three students have not been declared dead. However, if they remained in the water for any period of time the chances of survival are slim at best.
More than 175 people had participated in the rescue attempt by late Tuesday afternoon using seven boats and three helicopters. Martin called it the largest search conducted in Rhode Island waters in at least 15 years.
(Rutland Herald)