Coast Guard Searches For Couple Missing Near Blue Water Bridge

PORT HURON (WWJ) - The U.S. Coast Guard, with assistance from Canadian coast guard and local agency crews, is searching the St. Clair River near Port Huron Friday morning for a man and a woman.

Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Kyle Niemi explained what happened.

"A man and a woman were seen jumping into the St. Clair River under the Blue Water Bridge, which connects Port Huron to Sarnia, Ontario."

Niemi said the pair wasn't seen again after jumping in.

The names, ages and hometowns of the missing individuals are not known at this time. The only description available is that the man was reportedly wearing black shorts and no shirt at the time they went missing.

The Coast Guard Station in Port Huron was contacted around 1:45 a.m. Friday by a local 911 dispatcher, relaying information from a citizen who called reporting he witnessed a man and a woman jump into the St. Clair River from the shore in the area under the Blue Water Bridge.

Niemi said they immediately sent crews out to look for the couple.

"They were on the scene at 2:13 this morning, followed shortly thereafter by a helicopter crew from Air Station Detroit, two boat crews from the Canadian Coast Guard out of Trenton fired their boats, a dive team from St. Clair County, as well as Ontario Provision Police that were searching from the Canadian side."

Niemi said authorities don't believe it's a hoax and hope the two still are alive.

If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of the missing people, or witnessed anyone getting out of the water in that area, please contact the Coast Guard Sector Detroit Command Center at 313-568-9559.