Rescue officers were searching last night for a boater who disappeared in 2 feet of water along Back Creek after running his 30-foot sailboat aground.

The 35-year-old captain of the Catalina sailboat had purposely run the vessel aground shortly before 3 p.m. to clean the hull, according to Coast Guard officials.

He got out of the boat to begin cleaning it, leaving two passengers on board.

After several minutes, the passengers realized that the man had disappeared, the Coast Guard reported.

Another boat in the area contacted the coast guard after being alerted by the passengers on the sailboat that a man appeared to be missing in the water.

Four Maryland Natural Resources police boats, a fireboat from the Annapolis Fire Department and a team of Anne Arundel County Fire Department divers assisted the Coast Guard in the search, but hadn't located the man as of 10 p.m. last night.

A state police helicopter also assisted the rescue officers.

Maryland Natural Resources police had taken over the search last night.

The search area was along the Chinks Point area of Back Creek, the Coast Guard said.