SAN FRANCISCO – The Coast Guard suspended the search for two mariners off the coast of Ocean Beach late last night.
At approximately 4:46 p.m. the Coast Guard received a report of a sailing vessel underway off the coast of San Francisco that appeared to be in distress. The Coast Guard immediately launched a 47-foot motor lifeboat from Station Golden Gate to the scene. Once arriving on scene, the lifeboat crew attempted to hail the operators of the distressed sailing vessel, but received no response. The crew was unable to determine if there were any persons on board.
Coast Guard Sector San Francisco issued an urgent marine information broadcast for a possible person(s) in the water, launched an additional 47-foot motor lifeboat, an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station San Francisco, contacted San Francisco Police and Fire Departments and the National Park Service who also responded to the scene.
Soon after arriving on scene, National Parks Service personnel located what appeared to be two persons in the water in the vicinity of Camel Rock off of the Cliff House. Rescue personnel recovered the body of a woman from the rocks, however, they were unable to recover the second person as he was seen floating in the surf near the rocky cliff.
A Coast Guard crew member aboard the motor lifeboat was able to climb aboard the sailing vessel and reported that damage had been sustained to the windows and there was water in the hull. The Coast Guard was able to obtain the contact information for the owners of the vessel and contacted the family. At approximately 11:30 p.m., the decision was made to suspend the search after saturating the area with response assets combing the San Francisco coastline as far south as 5 miles south of Ocean Beach, as far east as Alcatraz Island, and the waters south of Marin County.
The body of a man washed up on Ocean Beach this morning, however, the coroner has not made a positive identification of the man.
The 33-foot sailing vessel was not towed to a safe area by Coast Guard crewmembers due to the on-going search and rescue efforts, hazardous weather conditions, and unstable condition of the vessel. The vessel beached itself in the vicinity of China Beach in San Francisco around 8:00 p.m.
Coast Guard oil pollution investigators confirmed that no pollution threat exist on board the sailing vessel and they have been working with a salvage company to remove the vessel.
It is reported that the sailing vessel had departed Pillar Point Harbor Sunday morning.
