Man Missing Overnight On Russian River Found By Search-And-Rescue

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A 75-year-old Glen Ellen man was missing overnight on the Russian River until he was found by a member of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office Search-And-Rescue team. Bill Hoeffer was found at about 7:30 a.m. Sunday, clinging to a tree about 3 feet from the water's edge, the sheriff's office said.

Hoeffer was staying the weekend with a group of friends at a rental home in Monte Rio. At about 10:30 a.m., the group decided to float down the river on tubes. They told authorities they entered the water at Johnson's Beach in Guerneville and floated down the river until dark.

As the group hiked up the river bank in the dark near Northwood Golf Course, Hoeffer reportedly fell behind and became separated from his friends. As the group reconvened at the top of the bank, they discovered Hoeffer was not among them. When they searched but did not find him, the sheriff's office was called for assistance.

Sheriff's personnel responded at about 10 p.m. and began searching. A sheriff's helicopter crew also searched from the air but Hoeffer was not located.

At about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, the sheriff's Search-and-Rescue team arrived on scene. The team of volunteers searched the Russian River area and were not immediately able to locate Hoeffer, who was reported to be in a fairly healthy condition at the time he went missing, sheriff's officials said.

The search-and-rescue volunteers kept searching, and at about 7:30 a.m. Sunday, one of the volunteers spotted the missing man. Hoeffer was clinging to a tree about 3 feet from the water's edge on the opposite side of the river from where the group had exited, the sheriff's office said.

Personnel with the Monte Rio Fire Department went around to the south side of the river and in waist-high water, walked Hoeffer safely to shore in the 20800 block of River Boulevard.

Hoeffer was "in good spirits but cold and disoriented," according to the sheriff's office.

"It wasn't clear if he spent the night actually in the water or on the bank," sheriff's officials said. "He was wearing only board shorts and sandals, and his float tube was nowhere to be found."

Hoeffer reportedly had symptoms of hypothermia and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.