Coast Guard searching for two missing boaters from Virginia

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a couple from Virginia who haven’t been heard from in over a week after their sailboat was damaged in bad weather. Yanni Nikopoulos and Dale Jones, both 65, set sail for the Azores on June 8, but they told Jones’ daughter five days later they had to turn around and head back because of the damage to the boat.

They haven’t been heard from since, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

When the pair called Jones’ daughter June 13, they were about 460 miles east of Virginia Beach, Virginia, the Coast Guard said.

On Friday, Jones’ daughter contacted the Coast Guard, saying she was concerned for their well-being, the Coast Guard said. Although no return date was set, she expected them to be back by Monday.

Search crews have conducted two flights looking for the missing pair, the Coast Guard said.

Coast Guard Chief Brian Gainey said in a statement they needed to cast a “wide and intentional net” in the search.

“We’re tracking cell phone and radio pings as we work with our counterparts in Bermuda to accurately determine the most intelligent search area for our air crews,” Gainey said. “It’s a lot of detective work, but it’s all in service to finding these two individuals and bringing them home to their families.”