Dense fog wrapping the Down East coast complicated the Coast Guard’s search Saturday for a young Maine lobsterman who didn’t return Friday evening from a day of checking and baiting his traps off Petit Manan Island.

Coast Guard officials search for Tylar Michaud, 18, pictured here, on Saturday after he failed to return from checking his traps on his boat, Top Gun, off Petit Manan Island. His boat was found empty Friday. Photo courtesy of Gouldsboro Fire and Rescue

Tylar Michaud, 18, of Steuben, was working alone Friday, Coast Guard officials said. His boat, named Top Gun, was found Friday night near Jonesport with no one aboard.

“There is an ongoing search, and multiple agencies are involved,” said Chief Petty Officer Alexander Polyak.

As dusk neared Saturday, Polyak said there was no plan to suspend the search, assisted by members of the Canadian Coast Guard, Maine Marine Patrol, Maine Army National Guard, and The Maine Forest Service was also involved with the search deploying a helicopter on scene Saturday.

“Unrelenting dense fog has made helicopter searching difficult,” Polyak said. “Visibility is greatly reduced.”

Operators of numerous good Samaritan vessels, both recreational and fishing, volunteered to help search the area known as Pigeon Hill Bay, he said.

Petit Manan is a small island several miles off the fishing village of Steuben and about 14 miles northeast of Bar Harbor. It hosts an abundant seabird population and one of the oldest and tallest lighthouses on the Maine coast.

“That’s his last known location,” Polyak said. “He went out early (Friday) morning and hadn’t returned by 5 p.m.”

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