Missing boaters report could be a hoax

By Morning Express with Robin Meade staff

updated 9:43 AM EST, Wed February 27, 2013

NEED TO KNOW

Coast Guard had been searching for a family off the San Francisco coast
Officials suspended the search Tuesday

The Coast Guard doesn't know who was on a sailboat missing off the coast of San Francisco or even where they were headed.

The last thing rescue teams heard on Sunday afternoon was a firmly stated, but calm sounding radio message:

"Coast Guard, Coast Guard we are abandoning ship. This is the Charm Blow we are abandoning ship."

Before sending that message, the man said their 29-foot sailboat was taking on water.

UPDATE: The Coast Guard suspended their search for survivors Tuesday saying that distress call may have been a hoax.

Officials say there's no other evidence something went wrong.

They had believed a family of four included a 4-year-old boy and a cousin younger than eight were on board.

Several aircraft and other boats searched but found nothing.

Video: Searching for a family lost at sea

Morning Express with Robin Meade airs Monday through Friday at 6am ET on HLN. Like the show on Facebook, follow on Twitter: @MorningExp.

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