HARWICH – Divers were requested to Red River Beach in Harwich sometime after 6 PM Monday. According to reports, a person was seen jumping off the jetty at the west end of the beach and was not seen again. A Coast Guard helicopter and aircraft were also on scene.
From Harwich Police: Harwich Police and Fire departments are currently on scene at Red River Beach conducting a search operation for a male individual who may be in the water. The subject, described as a 30-40 year old white male wearing black pants and a black sweater with white stripes, was last seen on the jetty at approximately 6:15. If you were present at Red River Beach around this time and possess any relevant information, please contact the Harwich Police Department at 508-430-7541.
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About 8:45 PM, search efforts were scaled back. The Coast Guard planned to continue searching by air.
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Update from Harwich Fire: At 6:18 PM, the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a 9-1-1 call from an individual at Red River Beach. The individual reported seeing a man at the end of the West End Jetty and that the man was no longer visible. A water rescue response was initiated bringing Fire Department, Police Department, the Harbormaster and the United States Coast Guard to begin the search. Upon arrival of the first fire department units and with confirmation the person was believed to be in the water, the Barnstable County Dive Team was activated.
A multi-pronged search effort was initiated with Harwich divers entering the water to do a hasty search around the jetty while Harwich Firefighters searched the shoreline both East and West of the jetty. Harwich Police searched the parking lot and the roads in the area for a person matching the description. Meanwhile the Coast Guard and Harwich Harbormaster searched the water off the beach.
As more assets arrived, the dive operation was expanded. The Sheriff’s Department drone unit also searched the shoreline and water east and west of the jetty until the Coast Guard air wing arrived.
Social Media and Reverse 9-1-1 were used to seek information about the sighting, and the multiple tips that came from those efforts were investigated by the Police or Marine assets.
The dive operation ended around 8:15 pm and all Harwich and County resources concluded their operations shortly after. The Coast Guard Air wing continued their search for much of the night.
The missing individual is described as a 30–40-year-old white male wearing black pants and a black sweater with white stripes, was last seen on the jetty at approximately 6:15. If you were present at Red River Beach around this time and possess any relevant information, please contact the Harwich Police Department at 508-430-7541.
The search / investigation is ongoing.
Update from Harwich Fire Tuesday 10:30 AM: Early this morning Harwich Fire and the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office drone did a a shore line search from Red River Beach to Allen’s Harbor as a follow up to last night incident. Nothing was found.
CWN will bring you further details as we get them.
Photo and video by Jake O’Callaghan/CWN
