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Coast Guard halts search for 3 aboard downed aircraft

BROOKINGS, Ore. – The U.S. Coast Guard says it has suspended its search for three people after more than 12 hours of looking for survivors from a downed aircraft in southern Oregon.

The agency says in a news release issued late Tuesday that pilot John Belnap, his son Max, 17, and a friend Ryan Merker, 17, remain missing after the reported crash of a Cessna 172F near Brookings. No hometowns were given.

A report Tuesday morning said that a backpack believed to belong to someone on the plane was found washed ashore near the Brookings airport.

Coast Guard searches by helicopter, plane and boat failed to find the aircraft, which had been flying from Brookings to Grants Pass. The Curry County Sheriff’s Office and the Civil Air Patrol also participated.

Officials say family members reported the plane missing. No other information was released.

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