2 Reported Missing in Water Off Coast

The Coast Guard was searching Monday for two men reported missing in separate incidents off the coast.

The names of both men were withheld pending notification of relatives.

A 36-year-old Rincon man was windsurfing south of Punta Gorda one to three miles offshore about noon when he apparently fell from his board. A witness called the Coast Guard after the man did not get up, Petty Officer Michael Dooley said.

“Apparently he was a very experienced windsurfer, but not in California waters,” Dooley said. “He used to surf in Hawaii.”

Search crews found the windsurfer’s sail and a flotation vest, but not the board. Authorities did not know whether the man was wearing the vest.

The search was expected to continue until early this morning.

In another incident about 30 minutes later, a 49-year-old man fell into the ocean while sailing about two miles off Mandalay State Beach, Dooley said.

“The man attempted to recover a dinghy and fell overboard,” Dooley said. His sailboat was towed in by the Ventura Harbor Patrol because a woman on the boat did not know how to sail, Deputy Harbor Master Leigh Ross said.

The search for the man was suspended late Monday and was scheduled to resume this morning.