Photo courtesy of California Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response.
ALAMEDA, Calif. – Cleanup operations concluded for the grounded 42-foot commercial fishing boat Seastar and the National Park Service reopened Kehoe Beach Saturday and North Beach Wednesday.
Coast Guard Sector San Francisco and California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response oversaw the removal of diesel and other petroleum products from the boat Saturday. Parker Diving, the contracted agency tasked with dismantling the Seastar, completed work Monday.
“While the outcome of this search and rescue case involving the missing fishing vessel captain was sadly tragic, we appreciate the extensive and dedicated efforts of our first responder interagency partners which ultimately, enabled closure for the grieving family,” said Captain Taylor Lam, Sector San Francisco commander. “We are also tremendously thankful for the local fishing community in their work to recover the fishing gear and catch to support the family as well.”
Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders received reports of the Seastar adrift just North of Point Reyes around 9:20 a.m., February 25.
A Coast Guard Station Bodega Bay 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew arrived on scene at 10:15 a.m., boarded the Seastar, which was near the rocks, and confirmed the vessel was unmanned. At that time, the boat crew started conducting search and rescue operations for the missing fisherman.
The Coast Guard and partner agencies located an unresponsive male at 1:35 p.m., and transport the man to Station Bodega Bay where the body was transferred to Sonoma County Coroner.
The Coast Guard remained in an active search stance until a positive ID of the body was confirmed by the Sonoma County Coroner.
Once the Station Bodega Bay boat crew transferred the body to Sonoma County Coroner, a second boat crew was launched on the 47-foot Motor Lifeboat to attempt to tow the Seastar, but the boat had drifted and ran aground.
National Park Service personnel closed the Kehoe Beach Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, and North Beach Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022.
There have been no reports of impacted wildlife.
The cause of the incident is under investigation.
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