On November 16, 2019 @ 21:41 hrs, Units were requested by the USCG to search for a Boat in Distress on the Rappahannock River. KGSO Communications received notification from the USCG with reports of a boat in distress on the Rappahannock River. USCG received 3 mayday calls advising of a boat in distress. USCG was unable to provide any information in regards to boat description or persons on board. USCG requested assistance with the search and advised that they were unable to launch a helicopter due to weather. USCG was able to identify 2 GPS coordinates where distress calls were made. Coordinates provided were 38.08603 - 77.05145, 38.24261 - 77.37972. It was determined that the search area between these 2 points included the entire shoreline of King George County. Battalion 1 requested assignment to be dispatched and established Rappahannock River Command at Hopyard Farm Boat Ramp. Command requested boats from Stafford County and Caroline County. KGSO Communications advised that the USCG had already reached out to the surrounding counties for assistance. This included the counties of Westmoreland, Essex, Caroline, Spotsylvania and Stafford. Battalion 1 coordinated the search with units from King George, Stafford, and Caroline Counties from the Stafford County line to Westmoreland County County Line. Command requested a call out for the drone to assist with the search. KGSO Communications notified command that the USCG would be launching a helicopter. Communications with the helicopter were assigned USCG Channel 22. Due to the helicopter launch, the drone call out was cancelled. Spotsylvania Battalion Chief 2 coordinated the launch of Boat 2 with Command. Spotsylvania Boat 2 was instructed to launch from New Post and search down river to Brentham Farm.
Ground crews checked several locations within their search areas with nothing found. Boat crews searched the river from New Post to the Rt. 301 Bridge with nothing found. Command had no communications with any units from Caroline County. It was presumed that Caroline County had boats in the water searching the area of Port Royal. However, by order of Caroline County’s Battalion Chief, no boats were launched. USCG helicopter arrived in the area and performed a track line search between the 2 coordinates. USCG Helicopter continued to search well beyond the initial search area. USCG Helicopter advised they were confident in their search results and would be suspending the search pending additional information. With no additional information, all units were placed in service and the search was suspended. Command was terminated and all units returned to service when ready at 00:24 hrs.