NEWPORT BEACH – Crews with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and other agencies searched by air and in the water off of the coast of Newport Beach after an unoccupied, 17-foot-long boat washed up Sunday evening.

Deputies believe one person was aboard the motorized vessel, a Boston Whaler, that came ashore near 48th Street about 5:45 p.m., sheriff’s spokeswoman Carrie Braun said.

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Authorities identified the missing man as 47-year-old Nicholas Busick.

“(His family) is confident in his boating skills,” sheriff’s Lt. Chris Corn said at a press conference Monday morning.

He added that the father and husband is a “well-versed captain” and had left home on his bicycle Sunday at about 1 p.m. and headed to where the boat was kept in Newport Beach.

“He was just going out for a short boat ride,” Corn said at Harbor Patrol headquarters. “There was nothing unusual about it.”

Later that evening, the vessel washed up, in gear and running.

The U.S. Coast Guard actively searched for 19 hours after the boat’s discovery.

“We searched about 186 square-nautical-miles of offshore waters,” Lt. Cmdr. Richard Mach said.

By early Monday afternoon, the search had been suspended, although the Harbor Patrol was keeping a look-out while on patrols.

The weather and ocean conditions worked in their favor Sunday, but Monday morning’s helicopter search was delayed because of fog. Mach added that the water temperature on Monday morning was about 57 degrees.

It was unknown what kind of clothes Busick was wearing.

Authorities asked that anyone with information call the Harbor Patrol at (949) 723-1005, ext. 2.

City News Service contributed to this story.