The U.S. Coast Guard launched a search off Fort Morgan for a missing jet-skier after receiving a report that the rider had been struck by lightning during a storm on the water.
Baldwin County 911 dispatchers alerted the Coast Guard Sector Mobile command center Sunday afternoon after receiving a call reporting that a jet-skier had apparently been struck by lightning and was then dragged behind the still-moving personal watercraft. The call came in at approximately 3:40 p.m.
According to the Coast Guard, the missing rider is described as a white male with dark hair who was last seen heading in a southwesterly direction in the waters near Fort Morgan, at the mouth of Mobile Bay.
Coast Guard crews from Sector Mobile coordinated the search effort along the stretch of Gulf coastline near the historic fort, an area popular with boaters, anglers and personal watercraft riders during the summer months. Search efforts in the Gulf can involve a combination of Coast Guard cutters, small boats and aircraft depending on conditions and the size of the search area.
Severe thunderstorms are common along coastal Baldwin County during the summer, and lightning strikes on open water pose a serious hazard to boaters and jet-skiers who have little shelter once a storm develops. Safety officials routinely urge anyone on the water to head to shore immediately at the first signs of an approaching storm, since lightning can strike well ahead of visible rain or thunder.
Authorities did not immediately release additional details on the search’s progress. Anyone with information about the missing jet-skier was asked to contact the Coast Guard Sector Mobile Command Center.
The Fort Morgan peninsula sits at the western tip of Baldwin County’s Gulf shoreline, across the mouth of Mobile Bay from Dauphin Island, and is a popular destination for fishing, boating and beachgoing throughout the summer season.