Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay MH-65 Dolphin helicopter file photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Levi Read.
MCKINLEYVILLE, Calif. — The Coast Guard suspended its active search for two overdue boaters near Humboldt Bay, Wednesday evening.
Missing are 68-year-old Scott Arbaugh and his son, 49-year-old Josh Arbaugh.
Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crews, Coast Guard Station Humboldt Bay 29-foot Response Boat-Small crews and Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento C-27 Spartan aircrews, with assistance from Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Eureka Police Department, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and other good Samaritans searched. Cumulatively, crews searched 247 square miles over 54 hours with no signs of the missing men.
Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay command center watchstanders were notified at 8:48 p.m. Tuesday by the missing men’s family, reporting that the two men had launched their 16-foot boat late Tuesday morning from Fields Landing to test their motor.
Watchstanders directed the launch of the Air Station Humboldt Bay helicopter crew and Station Humboldt Bay boat crew at 8:50 p.m.
At 11:52 p.m. the helicopter crew located the missing boat, partially submerged approximately half a mile northeast of King Salmon with no signs of occupants.
The Coast Guard crews, Humboldt Bay Sheriff’s Office, Department of Fish and Wildlife and Humboldt Bay Fire continued their search through Wednesday.
The cause of the incident is under investigation.
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