$1.3M spent in search of boater who resurfaced without explanation

 

Enrique Hernandez

An exhaustive air and sea search was conducted by the United States Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies. While his trailer and vehicle were located at the boat ramp, neither Hernandez nor his boat was located.

In the four days that Apopka boater Enrique Bernardo Hernandez was thought to be missing in New Smyrna Beach, the U.S. Coast Guard spent more than $1.3 million on the search efforts.

Hernandez left his Orange County home at about 5 a.m. on Feb. 6 with his 14-foot boat and when he didn't return late that night, his family reported him missing.

His vehicle and his boat trailer were left on a public boat ramp in New Smyrna Beach. Rescuers searched a 13,000 square mile area before giving up the search on Feb. 10.

The hefty price tag attached to the exhaustive search for Hernandez paid for Coast Guard rescue crews, command center watch standers, fuel for rescue planes and boats and maintenance for those vessels for several days, according to petty officer Jessica Potter, Coast Guard spokeswoman.

On March 4, Hernandez resurfaced in Avon Park, a city in Highlands County – more than 130 miles away from where rescuers thought he went missing.

According to the New Smyrna Beach police, Hernandez called his family from Avon Park on March 4. He went home to Apopka the same day then went to police headquarters to tell authorities he was safe. Investigators still have not recovered his boat.

Hernandez has not spoken to media outlets to explain his lengthy disappearance but police say he did provide a statement for their detectives. That statement, however, has not been made public.

At this point in the investigation, Potter said Hernandez has not been ordered to repay the $1,331,770 in taxpayer money used to fund the Coast Guard search.

A through investigation will be conducted by the Coast Guard, the New Smyrna Beach Police Department and the Highlands County Sheriff's Office to determine if there was any criminal activity surrounding Hernandez's disappearance.

Anyone who has information regarding the month-long disappearance is asked to call Det. Hank Smith with the Highlands County Sheriff's Office at 863-402-7382 or the Heartland Crime Stoppers at 800-226-8477.

Source:  http://www.orlandosentinel.com