Missing sailor’s unmanned boat found off coast of Oceanside

Scott Nunes,
Posted:

Scott Nunes

OCEANSIDE (CNS) – A 21-foot white striper fishing boat belonging to a
missing Oceanside man was found doing doughnuts off the coast of La Jolla early
Tuesday as the search for the 53-year-old man entered its second day, authorities
said.

The boat was found just before 6:30 a.m. about 10 miles northwest of the
most northern point of La Jolla, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Connie
Gawrelli said.

It was spotted by the USCG crew of a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter that began
searching for the man Monday night. The use of the helicopter was suspended
in the pre-dawn hours and had resumed less than 15 minutes before the boat was
spotted, according to the petty officer.

As of 8 a.m., the boat was still circling in place and authorities were
working on a plan to safely board the vessel, she said, noting they may wait
until it runs out of fuel or find a way to disable its engine.

The missing man, a 53-year-old Oceanside resident, was reported missing
late Monday afternoon after his dog, which had been with him, was found soaking
wet on the beach near an Oceanside jetty.

The USCG reported that a beachgoer found the dog and reached the missing
man's wife by calling the phone number listed on the canine's collar. She in
turn called Oceanside harbor police around 5:30 p.m. to report her husband was
missing, and just after 8 p.m., harbor police called on Coast Guard crews to
help search for him.

In addition to the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, the Coast Guard cutter
Edisto was used in the search. Gawrelli said the cutter continued to search
through the night and was still searching for signs of the man this morning,
after his boat was discovered.

The helicopter was also continuing to patrol up and down the shoreline,
from Oceanside to La Jolla, in hopes of finding him, she said.

The man's boat is named Lucky Dog. How his dog managed to get from the
boat to the beach was a mystery.

“We don't know at this point how the dog got back or how far he may
have had to swim,” Gawrelli said.

Categories: KUSI