Suspicious Boat Sought in Bay Waters

A Coast Guard ship searched the San Francisco Bay looking for the reported craft.

February 11, 2003

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- With terror tensions running high, the search for a man spotted inside a small inflatable boat today in California has come up empty.

A tugboat captain told police he nearly rammed the ten-foot craft this morning near the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

He says the boat was traveling without lights -- and that a man in a wetsuit was inside.

Police and federal officials combed the waters, but didn't find the boat. They also found no damage to the bridge itself.

Last week -- the federal government raised the national terror alert level to orange, one below the most serious level.

Officials say they were alerted by the captain who reported almost running down the little boat shortly after 3 a.m.

California Highway Patrol spokesman Wayne Ziese says the CHP sent up a helicopter and ground units went onto the bridge.

The Coast Guard sent boats to look for the 10-foot craft. Officers also inspected the bridge. No evidence of damage was found.

The Coast Guard says there are no restrictions for boaters traveling under the bridge and running without lights is a very minor infraction.

The bridge links San Francisco with Oakland and communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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