SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. -- The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Coast Guard are trying to track down a missing boater from Venice.
50-year-old Todd Battaglino's family has not heard from him since Monday afternoon. He's an avid boater who goes out on the water in a 20-foot white Parker boat with a tan T-top.
He departed in his boat from the Royal Palm Marina in Englewood around 5:30 p.m. Monday, and was last seen wearing a yellow fishing shirt and khaki shorts.
The Coast Guard launched a search Tuesday with two boats and an airplane, and found Battaglino’s boat 16 miles off Stump Pass. Unfortunately, the boat was unmanned and adrift.
The search for Battaglino continues, with help from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, FWC, and Venice Police Department.
If you have any information on where he is, call 911.
**UPDATE (1/9)** -- The Coast Guard suspended their search for Battaglino at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday. Crews searched for a combined 98 hours and covered 3,860 square miles.
“Throughout our search efforts we’ve been in contact with the Battaglino family and we know this is a very difficult time for them,” said Capt. Holly Najarian, Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg's commander. "Suspending a search is the most difficult decision I have to make in my position and despite our best efforts we were unable find Mr. Battaglino.”
