ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Coast Guard suspended its search early this evening for the 51-year old man who was reported missing yesterday.
Several Coast Guard units and local law enforcement agencies participated in the exhaustive search for Randall Young, a Morro Bay native, who was reported missing when he did not return from a camping trip in Los Padres National Forest.
A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft from Air Station Sacramento covered more than 800 square miles southwest of Morro Bay and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station San Francisco covered more than 130 miles from San Luis Obispo to Monterey searching for Young.
In addition to air assets, the Coast Guard also launched a 47-foot Motor Life Boat from Station Morro Bay, which conducted an 80 mile shoreline search. The Coast Guard Cutter Sockeye, an 87-foot patrol boat homeported in Bodega Bay, covered more than 80 miles of search area this morning.
California Highway Patrol and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department also conducted land and air searches.
Young left last Wednesday for the Plaskett Creek Campground and was due to return by noon on Sunday, May 2.
When Young did not return, the friend went to the camp location on Sunday afternoon but did not find any of his belongings. She did, however, find Young’s vehicle located on a nearby road and made an initial report to the Monterey Sheriff’s office.
Monterey Sheriff’s Department contacted the Coast Guard because Young had taken a white kayak camping with him, and it has not been located. A kayak similar to Young’s was found by local residents on a beach, however, law enforcement authorities have been unable to confirm that it was Young’s kayak.
No signs of distress have been discovered, and the Coast Guard has suspended the search pending further developments in the case. Anyone with information about Randall Young, a 6′ 3″ white male, is asked to contact either the Monterey Sheriff’s office at 831-647-7702, or the Coast Guard at 510-437-3701.
