Search for missing fisherman suspended

DEER ISLE – The Maine Marine Patrol has suspended its search for a fisherman who has been missing since Saturday.

Byron Gross, 65, of Little Deer Isle had been hauling lobster traps in the area of Weeds Point on Little Deer Isle on Saturday when he disappeared. His boat was discovered Saturday afternoon on the shore near Weeds Point with the motor in gear and running.

The Deer Isle Fire Department, the U.S. Coast Guard and the marine patrol collaborated on the search, although their efforts were hampered by the weather Saturday. The Coast Guard helicopter flew over the area in search of signs of the missing man. Firefighters and volunteers combed the shore. Teams from the Maine Search and Rescue Dogs group searched with their dogs on land and on the water, while state police dive teams searched the ocean bottom for the missing man.

On Sunday, the Coast Guard determined that, given the weather conditions, the effort by that time was a recovery operation and pulled their boats and helicopter from the scene.

Members of the state police dive team, which includes divers from the marine patrol, continued to search the waters Monday, and a state police plane flew over the area during the day. Those efforts turned up no evidence and, at the end of the day, officials decided to end the formal search.

“We’ve suspended it for the time being,” said marine patrol Lt. Alan Talbot. “If something else comes to light, we’ll be back. But this ends the organized search. I don’t think we can do anything else.”

Talbot said officers would conduct occasional flyovers in the area and would return to search the shoreline as time permits.