TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Police Department is searching for a man said to be missing and endangered after his boat was found underwater.
According to a news release, police received multiple reports at 7:42 a.m. on Sunday of a shrimp boat that was seen submerged underwater. Once on scene off of Causeway Boulevard, they found a 63-foot-long vessel named "Miss Jordi."
The boat has been leaking thousands of gallons of diesel fuel into the water, the agency explains.
Curtis Cowling, the boat captain, was last seen at around 11 p.m. on Saturday. Police are trying to figure out where exactly the man is.
"Due to the amount of diesel fuel contaminating the water this is currently being treated as a HAZMAT scene, preventing dive teams from entering the water," the police department explains in the release. "The United States Coast Guard is leading the HAZMAT efforts."
Police say they believe Cowling lives on the boat full time, but it's unknown if he was on the boat when it started to sink.
There's an ongoing investigation into the situation. Anyone who believes they know where Cowling is can call the Tampa Police at 813-231-6130.