Boater dies after vessel capsizes in Northern California; 2nd man is safe, 3rd is missing

Rescue crews continued their search Tuesday for a missing boater, after a boat with three men capsized in Tomales Bay in Northern California.

The men were on a fishing trip in the bay about 7:30 a.m. Monday, when a wave overcame the boat and knocked it over, said John Dell’Osso, a spokesman for Point Reyes National Seashore.

A fisherman later spotted one of the men in the water, but by the time crews reached him, he was dead. Another one of the boaters made it safely to shore and was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. The third man remains missing, Dell’Osso said.

While conditions were not hazardous at the time, Dell’Osso said, the mouth of Tomales Bay where the incident occurred can have strong wave action.

“A lot of times, the waves are moving simultaneously into different directions,” Dell’Osso said. “I think it definitely makes it more dangerous to the average boater.”

Dell’Osso said he doesn’t know what level of boating experience the men had.

The search, which includes the National Park Service, U.S. Coast Guard and the Marin County Fire Department and Sheriff’s Department, will continue at least until late Tuesday afternoon, Dell’Osso said. If the boater is not found by then, the agencies will meet to decide on next steps.

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