Two Dead, Two Missing in Boating Accident Near Tomales Bay

PHOTO: The Sonoma County sheriff’s helicopter, Henry, 1, locates a 21-foot pleasure vessel that went missing on Friday, Saturday, April 18, 2015. Photo courtesy Friends of Henry 1.

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By Bay City News Service:

Deputies in the Sonoma County sheriff’s helicopter crew located a boat Saturday that went missing out of Bodega Bay Friday evening, according to sheriff’s officials.

Two of four people who were aboard the boat have been confirmed dead and two more are still missing, U.S. Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Amanda Faulkner said.

Coast Guard officials received a report around 7:30 p.m. Friday that a 21-foot pleasure craft with four people aboard had not returned from an all-day outing, Faulkner said.

The boat left around 5 a.m. and was expected to return around 5 p.m., Faulkner said. When the boaters didn’t return, the sister and girlfriend of the boat’s owner called the Coast Guard to report it missing.

Around 10:30 p.m. Friday, the Coast Guard requested assistance from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office to help with the search, sheriff’s officials said.

Around 9:30 a.m. Saturday, the sheriff’s helicopter, Henry 1, was able to conduct a search of the coastline and located the missing boat, which was overturned in the rocks near Tomales Point in Marin County, according to sheriff’s officials.

Faulkner said emergency crews found one person dead on the shoreline at Bird Rock and found another person dead in a debris field off of Tomales Point.

Emergency crews also found an engine in the debris field that authorities believe is from the missing boat, Faulkner said.

Crews are still actively searching for two more people, she said.

The decedents’ identities have not been confirmed, she said.

Faulkner said Coast Guard crews did not receive a distress signal from the vessel and said it’s unclear what happened to the boat.