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Missing

Jin Chin

The Coast Guard suspended an aerial search at sunset without finding any trace of a 54-year-old man whose small boat was found offshore, its engine still running, Sunday morning. Allison von Hagn, a Coast Guard spokeswoman, identified the missing man as J...

  • Last updated: June 10, 2020
  • Virginia Beach, VA
  • January 4, 1998

Overview of Jin Chin

The Coast Guard suspended an aerial search at sunset without finding any trace of a 54-year-old man whose small boat was found offshore, its engine still running, Sunday morning.

Allison von Hagn, a Coast Guard spokeswoman, identified the missing man as Jin F. Chin .

Chin 's street address was not immediately known, but von Hagn said his family is believed to have homes in Virginia Beach and Richmond.

Chin 's boat, a 23-foot Robalo called the Formosa, was spotted about 40 miles east of Virginia Beach at 10 a.m. by the crew of a Coast Guard C-130 search aircraft from the Coast Guard air station at Elizabeth City.

The commercial fishing vessel Grumpy, which was nearby, was guided to the scene by the crew of the aircraft.

When a crew member of the Grumpy went aboard the Formosa, he turned off the engine and secured the vessel.

There was no indication of what had happened to Chin , however, von Hagn said. Fishing gear and other items were still in place, and there was no evidence that the boat might have overturned or been swamped.

Chin left from Lynnhaven Inlet about 2 p.m. Saturday on what was to have been a three-hour fishing trip in coastal waters close to shore. He was reported missing by a neighbor after he failed to return as scheduled.

Chin had gone out alone.

The Coast Guard launched the C-130 as well as an HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, also based at Elizabeth City, to search for Chin .

The two aircraft had covered an extensive area of ocean off Virginia Beach by sunset, but saw no sign of the fisherman.

It was not clear how far the small boat may have traveled on its own without anyone at the wheel.

It was moving, but not very fast,'' von Hagn said. It was going pretty slow.''

The vessel was left at sea for the time being.

Chin had no known history of medical problems that might help explain his disappearance, von Hagn said. (Information retrieved from NamUs.gov)

Information

  1. Date Missing:January 4, 1998
  2. Age at Incident:55
  3. NAMUS Number:MP7629
  4. Race:Asian
  5. Gender:Male
  6. Height:66
  7. Weight:110
  8. Hair Color:Black
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