Body Is Found in Ocean Not Far From Abandoned Boat

A Coast Guard search for a Santa Ynez couple believed missing at sea found the body of a woman Saturday afternoon floating several miles from the couple’s empty boat.

Robert P. Petersen, 50, and his wife, Jodi, who is in her mid-40s were last seen leaving Santa Barbara Harbor aboard their boat Tootsy about 1 p.m. Friday, the Coast Guard said.

A man sailing off the coast of Santa Cruz Island found the abandoned powerboat near an oil rig platform about 7:15 a.m. Saturday and radioed for help.

About 1:30 p.m., a Coast Guard helicopter spotted the woman’s body floating face down about four miles east of where the Tootsy was found.

The woman, who is believed to be Jodi Petersen, was wearing only a thong bikini bottom, the Coast Guard said. The coroner has not yet identified the body.

“We have no idea what happened out there,” said Coast Guard Petty Officer Sandy Needle. Authorities said the conditions at sea Friday night were breezy but calm.

The Petersens’ housekeeper, who lives down the street from the couple in Santa Ynez, said they planned to be away for a couple of days, said Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Lt. Mike Burridge.

When the Coast Guard arrived at the Tootsy, they found the boat listing heavily and taking on water, Petty Officer Ken Coddington said. A leak was found where the exhaust pipe connects with the hull, the officer said.

Although no identification for Jodi Petersen was found on board, authorities believe it was her body they found based on a physical description provided by neighbors of the couple. There was no obvious trauma to the body and an autopsy was scheduled for today.

A Coast Guard helicopter and two cutters continued searching the waters off Oxnard on Saturday night for Robert Petersen but as of 8 p.m. he had not been located. Authorities found his passport, checkbook and cell phone on board the Tootsy.

No cause for the incident has been established.

Authorities were also struggling to find next of kin for the couple after being told by the housekeeper there were no relatives.

Margaret Howse, who along with her husband, Richard, bought a home in San Mateo from the Petersens last May, said Robert Petersen has a sister and his wife has a daughter from a previous marriage.

Howse said the couple told her they had been married five years and were both retired.

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Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies went to the couple’s large home located in an exclusive enclave on Oak Trail Road in eastern Santa Barbara County but found no one there. They contacted several neighbors, who described the couple as very private people, Burridge said.

Before the couple moved the boat to Santa Barbara about a month ago, it had been docked in San Francisco, authorities said.

The Tootsy was described by several officials as being in disrepair but it was still afloat when it was found. The craft, which is registered in Ventura, was towed Saturday to the Anacapa Boat Yard at Channel Islands Harbor where it was dry-docked.