At least two people are dead and several remain missing after two boats capsized off the central California coastline this week.
On Monday, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said a second boat had capsized near Bodega Bay around 7:10 a.m. PT as they were searching for another group that went missing over the weekend.
Two men were on board near Mussel Point, just south of Salmon Creek. While first responders found one of the men about a half an hour later and started life-saving efforts, he did not survive. He has not yet been identified.
Police are still looking for the other man.
The Sheriff’s Office said their marine unit had been in the area, and were searching for others who went missing over the weekend. They were joined by the Sonoma County Fire District, the Coast Guard, Goldridge Fire District, and California State Parks.
In a different area of the Bay, police received a call at 10:18 p.m. on Saturday for an overdue recreational boat that went crabbing off the coast of Bodega.
There were reportedly six people, including three adults and three children, on the 21-foot-long white Bayliner boat. They were last heard from at about 3 p.m., and a cell phone ping suggested the boat was last in the area of Carmet Beach, around two hours away from Mussel Point.
After a massive search, authorities discovered an 11-year-old boy, who is now receiving medical attention, alive. Johnny Phommathep II, a 17-year-old from Corning, was pronounced dead at the scene. The Corning Observer reported that Johnny was the son of Tiffany Phommathep, who had previously been shot by a mass shooter when driving her sons to school in Rancho Tehama. The children were injured in the shooting, according to SFGate.
The Coast Guard later suspended the search for the four other boaters, after covering more than 2,100 square miles.
“The decision to suspend a search is always difficult to make and never done lightly” said Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Michael L. Zapawa said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the missing boaters during this incredibly difficult time.”
A GoFundMe campaign started by a friend of the family has raised more than $18,000.
“I am raising money to help Tiffany, a loving wife and mother, lay her husband and 2 sons to rest after a tragic boating accident that took place on Nov 2nd in Bodega Bay,” wrote Sara Lobdell, the school secretary at Rancho Tehama Elementary. “I am also trying to raise funds to help Tiffany support her newborn and surviving children. Her husband, a Military Veteran & Co 72 Volunteer Firefighter, and the family are survivors of the Rancho Tehama School Shooting in 2017.”
“Our sincerest condolences to his family,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
Authorities asked that anyone with pertinent information regarding the missing boaters contact them.
“The ocean conditions are dangerous right now, with large swells and high winds in the afternoon and evening. We advise everyone to use caution and understand the forecasted conditions,” they said.
The boat accidents occurred as the California coast has been hit with extreme winds. On Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued a “particularly dangerous situation” Red Flag Warning for parts of southern California between Tuesday and Friday.
