U.S. Coast Guard looking for man last seen sailing to Melbourne

Hugh Blankenship was sailing MARTA from Cape Henry, Virginia, to Florida

MELBOURNE, Fla. – The U.S. Coast Guard is looking for a missing Brevard County man who was last seen when he departed in his sail boat from Virginia headed to Melbourne, Florida.

According to the Coast Guard, 82-year-old Hugh Blankenship left Cape Henry, Virginia on Oct. 24 in his 29-foot Catalina/Morgan sailboat named MARTA. Officials said Blankenship was sailing to Melbourne, but has not been heard from.

"Really scary we haven't heard from him," the missing man's daughter, Iolani Blankenship said.

Iolani Blankenship said her father had purchased the new sailboat in Maryland and spent months working on it.

"He went up to Maryland, he drove his car up with the intention of selling his car and sailing the boat to Florida," she said. "If anyone can make this trip, it's my dad. We're really worried that we haven't heard from him in nine days."


The last time Hugh Blankenship's cell phone pinged was near the border of North Carolina, according to his family.

 

Hugh Blankenship is white, 5 feet 8 inches tall and has white hair and a beard, according to a photo provided by the Coast Guard.

Anyone with information on Blankenship and his vessel is asked to call the Coast Guard at 757-398-6710.
 


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