May 11, 2015
BOSTON -- Coast Guard crews ended their search for the missing kayaker tonight on Lake Champlain, Vermont. Colchester Police, who will continue the search, found some of Sean Hawley’s personal effects on land, but they did not find the 25-year old nor do they think he is in the water. Initially, Hawley went missing late Saturday night. He reportedly went kayaking in the dark without telling anyone where he was going, and worried family members called for help which prompted the inter-agency search effort. His craft was found deliberately pulled onto shore this morning on Stave Island, Northwest of Colchester Point, and authorities do believe he is in immediate distress. “No two search and rescue cases are the same,” said Lt. Scott McCann, command duty officer at Coast Guard Sector Northern New England in Portland, Maine. “Because each case is different, we are always ready and always adaptable.” Involved in the search were crews from: •USCG Sector Northern New England •USCG Station Burlington •USCG Air Station Cape Cod •New York State Police •Plattsburgh Boat Basin •Clinton County Sheriff •Colchester Police Department •South Hero Fire Department •Customs and Border Protection •Canadian Coast Guard •Canadian Border Services Agency •Quebec Police Force Anyone with information about Sean Hawley’s whereabouts is urged to call the Colchester Police Department at (802) 264-5555