Coast Guard suspends search for kite surfer who went missing in Sandy Hook Bay

SANDY HOOK, New Jersey -- The Coast Guard has suspended the search for a kite surfer who went missing off the New Jersey coast.

Authorities say a boater reported seeing 44-year-old Hoboken resident Sinisa Bjelajac in distress near Horseshoe Cove in Gateway National Park around 5:30 p.m. Friday. Bjelajac was unconscious and attached to a kite in harness.

The boater tried to pull him from the water, but a gust of wind pulled the kite line from his hands and he lost sight of Bjelajac.

The Coast Guard soon began searching the area along with crews from the state police, the U.S. Park Police and the New York Police Department. But the search was suspended around 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

In the sport, riders use surfboards and large kites to propel themselves across the water.