UPDATE: Search for missing boater off of NC coast suspended by Coast Guard

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. — The United States Coast Guard announced the suspension of an active search for a missing boater on Wednesday night at 8:15 p.m. off the coast of North Carolina.

>> A GoFundMe has been set up for the Kale family. Click here to contribute.

The boater, 47-year-old Jeffrey Kale from Clover, has been missing since Saturday night.

Officials with the Coast Guard said multiple rescue crews have searched the ocean and the air for more than 100 hours since the first report.

Kale’s boat was found on Tuesday morning off the coast of Wrightsville Beach with no one aboard, and the search resumed.

Commander Corrie Sergent of the US Coast Guard shared this message when the search’s suspension was announced.

“We offer our sincere condolences to the Kale family during this difficult time,” Sergent said. “Saving lives at sea drives our rescue crews to train and operate every single day with the hope of bringing people home safely, which is why deciding to suspend a search is truly one of the hardest things for our personnel to do, and we do not take it lightly. We are grateful to the various Navy assets, commercial assistance, and multiple good Samaritans who have also assisted in the search.”

This is a developing story; check back at wsoctv.com for updates.

(WATCH BELOW: Search for missing boater on Lake Wylie stretches into second day)

Search for missing boater on Lake Wylie stretches into second day

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