A Clearwater Coast Guard crew is part of the search team looking for the captain of the HMS Bounty.
The captain, Robin Walbridge, is from St. Petersburg.
Walbridge has been missing since Monday, when the Bounty sank after being caught in rough wind and waves off the coast of North Carolina caused by Hurricane Sandy.
Fourteen crew members were rescued. One person died, and Walbridge is missing.
"As a C-130 pilot, if we're up there trying to search for a victim in the water, we're looking for any signs of distress, whether it be a flare debris in the water, rafts,(etc.)," said Lt. Drew Sonetirot with the USCG. "We're using equipment like radar to be able to scan the waters."
Coast Guard officials said the crew members were wearing survival suits.
The HMS Bounty was on its way to St. Petersburg and was due to arrive at the Pier on Nov. 10.