The United States Coast Guard in Buffalo and several other agencies continue an extensive search along Lake Erie for a missing Niagara Falls, Ontario fisherman.
37-year-old Giusseppe Reinhart disappeared while fishing from Crystal Beach in Canada Tuesday.
A news conference was held Wednesday afternoon outside Buffalo’s Coast Guard off Fuhrmann Blvd to update the media on the search.
“As of 3 p.m. this afternoon the Coast Guard and all of our partner agencies have searched for accumulative 55-hours, over 2,732 square nautical miles which is roughly the equivalent of twice the size of Erie County. We continue to search for Mr. Reinhart and our thoughts remain with his family,” said Tad Drovdowski, Sector Buffalo Chief of Response Commander.
Hamburg Police recovered the boat that washed ashore on Wanakah Beach near Hamburg, but there was no one with the boat.
There has been speculation by authorities that Reinhart might have faked his disappearance. Reinhart did serve time several years ago for manslaughter. Reporters asked if he was wanted by Canadian authorities.
“I do not know anything about that. We are using all of our marine and air units for a person they believe is in the water and locating that person alive,” responded Drovdowski.
The boat was found with fishing gear, a cooler with fish and personal items, but no cell phone. However, a ‘chart plotter’ was also discovered in Reinhart’s boat.
“Heading in a southerly direction, at a rate of speed, so with that information and with his gear still onboard the vessel we have all reason to believe he is in the water,” Drovdowski explained.
The Coast Guard is received assistance from Buffalo, Detroit, Trenton, New Jersey, Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Erie, Pennsylvania as well as the Canadian Coast Guard.
In an update later Wednesday, the Coast Guard added that Reinhart's boat is being held by Hamburg Police. A forensic team examined the boat and there were no signs of foul play.
There also was no man over board alarm that was activated on the boat. On the GPS/chart plotter, there was a point named MOB (Man Over Board), but this did not send an alarm of any kind.
This point was discovered when the Coast Guard was reviewing his voyage. It closely corresponded to where his voyage changed from a pattern near his fishing locations to heading south toward the United States.