Body found after boat partially sinks during Debby: Gulfport police

GULFPORT, Fla. - A man was found dead after a sailboat partially sank off the coast of Gulfport as Tropical Storm Debby passed the coastal town, police said Monday.

Officers gave an update hours after they said they were searching for Brian Clough, 48, who friends said lived on his boat with his dog.

Pictured: Brian Clough. Courtesy: Gulfport Police Dept.

Ryan Newkirk said he and other boaters noticed a portion of Clough's boat underwater late Monday morning about 50 feet off the coast of Veterans Park, but could not find their friend.

"I dove into the boat. I could only search about 85% of it, so I’m not 100% [sure] he’s not on there," said Newkirk, adding he searched some of the mangroves too but didn't find Clough. "We got his dog off the boat. That’s one of the main worries is he wouldn’t leave his dog."

Late Monday afternoon, police confirmed they found a body on Clough's boat, but they had not yet positively identified the man.

The storm, meanwhile, took a lot of people in the Gulfport boating community as it came through, damaging and destroying several boats near Williams Pier.

"As it came ashore, my rudder was ripped off, so it’s technically sinking right now," said Greg Kasal, a boat owner in Gulfport. "We’ll get it pumped out and we’ll get her back out there and safe."

"It was one of the worst storms I’ve seen in 15 years of being on the water. I’m a delivery captain for a living. I see some weather and this was extra," Newkirk said. "I rode out [Hurricanes] Irma, Ian, those were very strong storms and nothing like this. This is catastrophic for boaters."

Several sailboats came unmoored and washed aground, including one that knocked over a light pole on Shoreline Boulevard, which remained flooded for much of the day Monday.

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