By DARLENE McPHERSON-PAGELS 

Special to The Press

Authorities have called off the search for an Oak Island crab fisherman missing since Jan. 18, Chambers County Sheriff Joe LaRive reported Monday. 

He said the Coast Guard and game wardens have abandoned the search and rescue mission and have begun a recovery mission.

Thien Nguyen, 42, local crab fisherman and restaurant owner, left Job Beason park boat ramp in Oak Island Tuesday morning, Jan.18, for crab fishing in his 21-foot white Osprey sport fisher and has not returned.  A search was initiated Tuesday night, but as of this week, Coast Guard and Game Wardens have not found the missing man.  Tuesday afternoon Nguyen called his wife, Lan, and talked about having one of the other crab fishermen come out and help him because he was having engine trouble and the boat was taking on water.  Lan reports that Thien ended the call abruptly and attempts to reach him proved unsuccessful.  At one point last Tuesday evening the Coast Guard picked up a GPS signal indicating that Nguyen’s cell phone was still on and working, however, the location of the signal was unreliable.  On Wednesday morning other fishermen who had joined the search found items belonging to Nguyen that would have been on the deck of his boat.  Midday on Wednesday, the boat was discovered about 1 mile northwest of Smith Point.  Evidence suggests that the boat had not capsized, but was partially sunk in the Trinity Bay water.

Coast Guard helicopters and two 25-foot rescue boats searched the area until Friday.  Chambers County Game Wardens and Vietnamese fishermen joined the search and continued on through the weekend.  Current speculation by authorities and local fishermen is that it would be very improbable that a person could survive the bay waters through the recent cold weather.

Thien Nguyen and his wife Lan own Mai Lan Restaurant in Anahuac.  They have two young boys who attend Elementary School in Anahuac.  Nguyen crab fished to provide for the restaurant and extra income for his family.  Lan Nguyen has posted a sign on the restaurant that it will be closed until further notice and waits at her home in Oak Island with family and friends for word of her husband.