A boat carrying reportedly six persons vanished off the coast of Sonoma in Bodega Bay on November 2, and authorities are looking for survivors. One person has been discovered dead thus far, while another was saved and given medical attention.
On Saturday evening, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office was contacted regarding a recreational boat that was past due and whose occupants had not been heard from since approximately 3 p.m.
The sheriff’s office said on Facebook on Sunday that a cell phone ping had located it in the Carmet Beach area, just north of Bodega Bay.
According to reports, the 21-foot white Bayliner had been crabbing off of Bodega with six people on board: three adults and three adolescents.
In that region, the Dungeness crab fishing season for recreational purposes had only begun on November 2.
The local fire department, the U.S. Coast Guard, California State Parks, and the U.S. Air Force joined the sheriff’s office in launching a search using drones and its marine unit.
Debris was discovered along the coast during the continued search, and one individual was discovered alive and undergoing medical attention. The office said that a second person had been found and declared dead at the spot.
Unfavorable weather is affecting ongoing rescue attempts. From Sunday afternoon through Monday night, the Bay Area office of the National Weather Service has issued a Beach Hazards Statement for the North Bay, warning of “long-period northwest swell with breaking waves of 10-14 feet” and advising people not to swim.
Read Also: Bankruptcy Bites: TGI Fridays Struggles in the Changing Restaurant Landscape
Updated Information: The search for the four surviving boaters was halted by the U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday night “pending the development of new information,” the department said.
“The decision to suspend a search is always difficult to make and never done lightly,” U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Michael Zapawa stated. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the missing boaters during this incredibly difficult time.”
Anyone with information about the missing boaters is asked to contact the Sonoma sheriff’s office at 707-565-2121, according to the authorities.
