. >> reporter: coast guard officials confirm they found a shoe they believe belongs to andrew bittle. this as his family and friends say they're holding out hope he's still alive. >> best to try search the waters behind the houses in the back bay area myself and my son last night we were walking along the bay shining flashlights helping them look we knew -- they said they were looking for a body in the water or person in the water. >> reporter: vacationers rich quinn walked right no a frenzied search for missing boater around 11:30 last night. he immediately began to help search for the man who coast guard officials describe as 44 year old andrew bittle. a married father of three from egg harbor township scene here on his company's facebook page. >> like where is your friend? he's your friend -- is your friend in the water? he couldn't answer. he didn't know. he said all i saw was me go over my friend's shoulder. >> screaming for his friend the whole time. >> reporter: eyewitness tom murphy describes finding his passenger 23 year old justin bells of marmora swimming shore. coast guard

. >>> and searching for a missing boater, andrew bittle has been missing in atlantic county.is vessel struck the rocks and since then they launched a search in the ocean and the air to find him. and "action news" reporter john rawlins covering the story and he has the latest on the search efforts tonight. john? >> hi, rick. this is an open-ended each this morning. no plans to stand down. it is a recovery operation and extends from the point at my right there the buoy where the trouble started late last night, out to the atlantic ocean off the beaches of ocean city. the man who went missing, 45 year old andrew bittle a celebrated power boat razor -- racer written winning title in the u.s. and britain. and it was believed he was operating a

members of the coast guard returned to keep this morning to look for 45 year old andrew bittle. search began last night after a friend swam to shore after an accident with their boat in the water. and we have the latest on the search efforts. >> the search continues and the coast guard is here as well as the state police. out behind me here is a small 23-foot state police vessel, one of two involved in the search at this point. it has been 12 hours now, so the presufferings -- presuming that it is a recovery effort. as the sun came up they continued to find the operator of a pontoon boat, both were thrown about 11:30 last night. it struck one of the buoys and the impact had them end up in the water and the boat continued until it hit a jetty. >> they hit this buoy and i was about to go to bed and i live across the street and i heard a big thud. then i heard "help, help" screaming and i knew that serviit was somebody in the water. and he was screaming the friend's name. i hope i get it ride, it was a little traumatic, it was like andy, andy. >> missing is 45 year old andrew bittl

officials say andrew bittle's boat ran into trouble late last night in longport. i iain page. >> i'm lucy noland. we're learning more about what happened on the water last night right before things went wrong. let's go live to fox 29' is that so bean in a occur companies live in longport tonight. is a bone in a? >> reporter: lucy and iain the coast guard search continues to widen. officials found an article of clothing they believe belongs to this experienced boater and father of three. >> heard a big thud and then i heard, um, help, help, help! screaming i knew it was somebody in the water. >> eyewitness describes the frightening moments after a boat struck a buoy in longport catapulting two men on board into the water around 11:30 last night. coast guard officials identify the boat's operator as 44 year old andrew whittle egg harbor township scene here on his company's facebook page. he's still missing his passenger 23 year old justin bells was able to swim to shore and call police. >> one of the boat crews recovered a shoe believed to be from the owner operator

the man who went missing, 45 year old andrew bittle a celebrated power boat razor -- racer written winning title in the u.s. and britain. and it was believed he was operating a pontoon boat throwing them into the water. >> i heard a big thud and then i heard "help help help" screaming and i knew it was somebody in the water. you could just tell. and then he started screaming his friend's name. i hope i get it right, it is a little bit after traumatic night, but it was something like "andy, andy, andy". >> and how he ended up in the water. >> i felt going on my friend's shoulder. >> and workers said they had no comment with the missing plan. late this afternoon the state police using a special sonar unit trolled back and forth near the shore. this is where the bay meets the ocean. the mayor says that currents can be tricky. >> you have the ocean coming from my right, the bay on the left. it is very difficult to navigate this area with the boat. >> so how did a seasoned racer, a power boat racer setting records in the past end up in trouble while navigating with a pontoon boat? they are hopi

andrew bittle and another man in a pontoon boat last night, hitting a buoy and running into rocks. the other man swam to shore and called for help. and more on this coming up at 6:00. >>> the montgomery county sheriff turning to social media, trying to track down suspected dead beat parents. the formal roll-out of the initiative in norristown, and the sheriff's department is posting pictures on the facebook and twitter pages of parents owing child support. >> we are using social media because of the amount of information we receive from the public using social media. >> several tips have already come in. you can find these links to the sheriff's office social media sites and photos of the suspects. and a list of suspected dead-beat parents updated every week. >>> and two arrested for shooting a pharmaceutical delivery man during a robbery attempt. charles wardlaw and robert hartley tried to rob the driver outside of the wellness pharmacy on ridge avenue. and video taken outside of the business showed the alleged vehicles involved in the crime. there it is. that's what led the polic

>> and justin bells as he swam ashore and then focus on finding andrew bittle an experienced power boat racer from egg harbor hospital. >> and we hoped he was knocked out on the boat. no noise, wasn't saying anything. we were listening. my assumption is that he was unconscious or something and in the water, but we couldn't see anything. and the police got here really quickly. >> the search that began overnight and continues involves numerous vessels and a coast guard helicopter. bittle and belts passed under the ocean city bridge and they hit a buoy causing both to go overboard. and bittle is the owner, and staffers too upset to talk about the married father of two. in the meantime the search allowing for currents expanded for the atlantic waters off ocean city. the area where he went missing is where the bay and ocean meet, known for shifting and powerful currents says the longport mayor. >> i think the message here is that although the water provides enjoyment and pleasure and tranquillity for awful us, we cannot forget it is extremely dangerous and you have to use caution. >> and the