1 person found dead on crashed fishing boat at Point Reyes

(KRON) — A person was found dead in a crashed fishing boat found by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Helicopter Unit (Henry-1) on Thursday.

At around 4:30 p.m., Henry-1 responded to calls of a boat that crashed into the rocky shoreline near Chimney Rock in Point Reyes.

A rescue swimmer from the U.S. Coast Guard was deployed and located a person in the boat. However, the swimmer was unable to access the cabin without breaching equipment, the sheriff’s office said.

The Henry-1 crew then retrieved a paramedic from the Marin County Fire Department and was tasked with a 100-foot-long line rescue (video attached). According to the sheriff’s office, the boat “was resting on rocks and being battered by the incoming waves, causing it to list to the side.”

Both a tactical flight officer and the paramedic were inserted into the boat with breaching tools. Once the crew gained access, they determined the person inside the boat to be deceased.

The body was turned over to the Marin County Coroner’s Office, which will be investigating the death. The subject’s identity is being withheld pending the notification of their next of kin.

“We would like to send our condolences to the subject’s family during this difficult time,” the sheriff’s office said.

According to the Office of Spill Prevention and Response, the fishing boat’s diesel capacity was reported at about 400 gallons. It is unknown at this time if any product has been leaked.

OSPR is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Southwest, NOAA’s Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries, National Park Service, and the Marin County Government to assess the vessel’s status and potential pollution onboard.

There have been no observed impacts to wildlife at this time, OSPR said. The investigation is ongoing into the cause of the crash.

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