Coast Guard Suspends Search for Missing Crew Member in Eastern Pacific

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751)

The U.S. Coast Guard has temporarily halted its extensive search for Seaman Bryan K. Lee, 23, from Rancho Cordova, whose whereabouts became unknown while aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The search was suspended Saturday evening pending new leads.

Lee was reported missing early Tuesday morning during routine operations approximately 300 nautical miles south of Mexico. Despite nearly 190 hours of search efforts spanning over 19,000 square nautical miles, no trace of Lee has been found.

Cmdr. David Stern, the search and rescue mission coordinator for Coast Guard District Eleven, expressed deep sympathy for Lee’s family and friends, acknowledging the complexity and scale of the search efforts. “This case has been extraordinarily challenging, and the decision to suspend the search pending new information is not an easy choice,” said Stern. He extended gratitude to the various units and partners involved in the search.

Resources deployed in the search included Waesche’s helicopter crew, two Customs and Border Protection Dash-8 aircraft, C-130 aircraft from both the U.S. Air Force 39th Rescue Squadron and U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, an Unmanned Aircraft System drone, and assets from the Mexican Navy.