Residents across parts of Broward County reported seeing and hearing low-flying military aircraft Wednesday evening, prompting speculation across social media and community apps.
Multiple users on the Neighbors app said they observed military planes and helicopters flying at unusually low altitudes over Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Cooper City. Some posts included video footage, while others described repeated flyovers that lasted into the night.
View this post on Instagram
On Thursday morning, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed it had conducted an aerial and maritime search in South Florida waters.
In a statement, Coast Guard Sector Miami said watchstanders received a report of an unmanned, adrift vessel approximately 10 miles east of the Cape Florida Lighthouse. An MH-65 helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Miami, along with a boat crew from Station Miami Beach, were deployed to conduct search patterns in the area.
The Coast Guard said no people were found and there were no reports of anyone missing. The case has since been suspended pending new information.
Officials did not confirm whether the search activity was directly connected to the aircraft sightings over Broward County, but the timing coincided with the reported flyovers.
