Coast Guard Calls Off Search for Texas Father and Son Missing After Shrimping Expedition

Benedicto Jaramillo, 50, at right, and his 15-year-old son, Angel Alejandro Jaramillo, went shrimping off the coast of Texas early Saturday and never returned. The Coast Guard suspended their search on Sunday morning.

The US Coast Guard has called off its search for a 50-year-old Texas man and his teenage son who disappeared off the Lone Star State coastline during a shrimping expedition on Saturday.

Benedicto Jaramillo and his 15-year-old son, Angel Alejandro Jaramillo, set out on their boat "My Possum" from Port Lavaca on the Gulf Coast around 5 a.m. Saturday. They were expected back by 10:30 a.m.

Concerned relatives reported them missing shortly before 11:30 a.m., amid stormy weather, prompting a search effort by the Coast Guard and local agencies. The search was suspended at 7:55 a.m. on Sunday, the Coast Guard said in a press release.

Benedicto Jaramillo, 50, was a deckhand on the shrimp boat “My Possum,” which went missing early Saturday.

“Whenever we send our rescue crews out, it is with the ardent hope we can bring everyone home safely,” said Homar Barrera of the Coast Guard’s Corpus Christi sector. “Unfortunately, after considering all pertinent factors, we made the difficult decision to suspend our search today.”

The GoFundMe campaign launched by the family described Benedicto Jaramillo as the sole provider for his family and sought donations to offset the costs "for search and vessel recovery."

The Coast Guard reported that the search covered approximately 77 miles of the ocean over 21 hours, involving an urgent broadcast, helicopters, and several boats, including a fire boat. Calhoun County rescue crews, along with teams from the Texas Park & Wildlife Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety, also participated in the search.

Authorities noted that Benedicto Jaramillo was a deckhand on "My Possum."