A young man missing since December 31, 2013 has been identified as 21 year-old Dana Dourdeville of Marion, a graduate of Old Rochester Regional High School, and a student at Brown University. His red, nine-foot kayak was recovered last night but Dourdeville is still missing.
Law Enforcement has released the following statement:
“The kayak belonging to the hunter, who has been identified as 21 year old Dana Dourdeville, was found floating in the water off the east shore of West Island. The U.S. Coast Guard located the vessel floating approximately 3 miles offshore between West Island and Falmouth. Inside the vessel was a single glove. The glove was dry and it did not appear as though the kayak had flipped at any point in time. Unfortunately, the kayak was not occupied when it was located just before 11pm Tuesday night.
The search resumed this morning after sunrise and has been joined by the Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council Search and Rescue Team. Searchers are using aircraft, boats and all terrain vehicles to assist in their efforts. A land search is also being conducted on foot.”
As of 1:16 p.m., January 1, 2014, the USCG suspended its search “pending further developments,” as searchers on water, land and air continue their search.
A USCG press release states that Dourdeville left his house at approximately 2 p.m. yesterday afternoon to duck hunt within the vicinity of West Island, Fairhaven and was expected back at home by 5:30 p.m. that day.
It is being reported that Dourdeville was not wearing a life jacket or wetsuit.
State Police attempted last night to ping Dourdeville’s cell phone and concluded that it had last been used at 12:44 p.m. and pinged from the County Road cell tower in Wareham.
Multiple agencies arrived at the scene in addition to local authorities, including USCG, the Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council Search and Rescue Team, and the State Police and various local Fire Departments.
Fairhaven Police found Dourdeville’s vehicle Tuesday afternoon in the West Island Town Beach parking lot but there was no sign of Dourdeville.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England Command Center at 508-457-3211 or by VHF channel 16.
By Jean Perry
