Authorities on Wednesday found the boat 7-year-old Hunter Slezak was in when he, his father and another man disappeared during a shrimping trip off Dauphin Island, said Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch.
As the search for Hunter entered its fifth day, there are still no signs of the missing boy, the sheriff said.
“We can confirm that we located the boat. We have not found the child,” Burch said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
The boat has been secured, Burch said, and divers are in the water with sonar equipment searching for Hunter.
The sheriff said the cabin of the boat appeared to be detached from the vessel “and we have not located that.”
Authorities are usure whether Hunter was in the cabin when it capsized Friday, triggering a massive search that turned up the bodies of Hunter’s father, Michael Slezak, and Sam Wooley.
The U.S. Coast Guard led the search before it indefinitely suspended its rescue and recovery effort on Sunday night.
“We are deeply saddened and offer our sincerest condolences to the families, friends, and communities affected by this heartbreaking and tragic incident,” said Capt. Robert Tucker, Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Deputy Commander.
“Suspending an active search for a missing child is an exceptionally difficult decision and is only made after the most exhaustive efforts have occurred. We thank all the search and rescue crews who worked with determination around the clock with hopes of a different outcome.”
Hunter’s mother, Megan Slezak, feared the worst for her son in a Facebook post
“I just need the closure of having his body to bury,” she wrote. “I didn’t think my heart could shatter anymore then this but not at least being able to find my son’s body is so incredibly painful. Momma hold your babies. They could be taken in a blink of an eye. This is THE WORST pain ever.”
The sheriff’s office is being assisted by several agencies including the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Dauphin Island Police Department, Marine Resource Division and Baldwin County ALEA. Equipment used in the search were boating vessels, drones and a helicopter.
A GoFundMe was started to help the Slezak family with funeral expenses and it has already eclipsed the goal of $25,000.
Burch said the sheriff’s office will be searching for Hunter “until we are able to find him.”
