Coast Guard Suspends Search for Missing Boaters off Bodega Bay Coast

The U.S. Coast Guard announced the suspension of its search for four missing boaters near Bodega Bay, California, on Sunday evening after exhausting extensive efforts over 57 hours and covering more than 2,100 square miles.

Accident in Treacherous Waters

Six individuals were aboard the 21-foot white Bayliner boat, which set out for a recreational crabbing expedition on Saturday afternoon. Tragically, only two individuals have been located—an 11-year-old boy who survived and required medical care and another adult who was found deceased.

Sonoma County’s Sheriff’s Office received a distress call at 10:18 p.m. on Saturday regarding the missing boaters. The last known location of the boat was around Carmet Beach, where cell phone data had last pinged. The Coast Guard confirmed that five of the boaters were family members, with the sixth being a family friend. Departing from Westside Marina, the group intended to return by 7 p.m. that evening. However, they lost contact around 3 p.m., prompting an intensive search by multiple agencies, including the Coast Guard, Sonoma County Fire, and later the U.S. Air Force.

Challenging Conditions and Debris Found

Chief Petty Officer Levi Read shared details about the challenging conditions faced by the search teams, including eight-foot-high swells and a 52-degree sea temperature, which poses a severe risk of hypothermia within an hour. Given these factors, Read expressed a bleak outlook for the four missing individuals. “We’re well past that hour,” he explained, referring to the potential survival time in such frigid waters. During the search, several pieces of debris, believed to belong to the boat, were found along the shoreline, along with multiple life jackets. The 11-year-old survivor managed to reach the highway from the beach, where a passerby assisted him in seeking help. Fortunately, the young boy was later reunited with his family, now in stable condition. However, the discovery of the deceased adult has cast a shadow over hopes of finding additional survivors.

Unpredictable Ocean Conditions

The exact cause of the accident remains unknown, but officials noted that strong winds and powerful currents along the Sonoma Coast this weekend may have played a significant role. Rob Dillon, Public Information Officer with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, emphasized the ever-changing nature of ocean conditions along the coast. “Conditions can change rapidly and significantly,” Dillon noted, explaining that even for seasoned boaters, the Sonoma coast can quickly turn perilous.

With the Dungeness crabbing season having opened on Saturday, Dillon warned that despite familiarity, boating along the Sonoma coastline requires constant vigilance due to shifting currents and unexpected hazards. As of now, the Sheriff’s Office plans to maintain resources in the area for continued searches and further investigation on Monday. The Sheriff’s Office urges anyone with information regarding the missing boaters to contact them at (707) 565-2121.