Man goes missing in bay area after possible shark attack

Latest October 2, 10:35 am The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a missing person following a shark attack Sunday off Wildcat Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore after officials were unable to locate them, San Francisco department spokeswoman Grace Patton said. The man’s family has been notified of their plan, the Coast Guard said. A casualty has not been confirmed.

October 2, 10:10 am Bay Area authorities are searching for a man who went missing Monday morning after a shark attacked him in the waters near Wildcat Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore on Sunday.

Around 10:40 a.m. on Oct. 1, the US Coast Guard Command Center received reports from witnesses at the scene who said a person in the water “appeared to have been pulled down” by a shark, Grace Patton, public information. San Francisco Department Officer.

From there, the Coast Guard sent vessels to search the area with assistance from Marin County Fire and the Stinson Beach Fire Protection District, the closest agency with shore-launched rescue vessels. They were released by the incident commander on Sunday afternoon.

“It’s a very remote area, so access is difficult,” Stinson Beach Fire Protection District Chief Jesse Perry said Monday morning. “In the initial response, we heard about possible shark involvement, which is very unfortunate.”

Marin police officers and National Park Service officials were stationed on the ground. The search continued until midnight and is still ongoing, Patton said. No other information was provided regarding the identity of the missing person.

It is unclear what type of shark may have been involved in the incident. Great white shark sightings at Point Reyes are frequent in August, September, and October, months that coincide with the migration season of male California sea lions and the fall migration of young northern elephant seals. National Park Service.

Since 1950, there have been 16 shark-related incidents reported in Marin County, said John Ugoretz, a shark expert with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Nine of them were near Tomales Point, two at Dillon Beach, two at Stinson Beach, and three at Limandur Beach, Drake’s Estero, and Point Reyes, respectively. Ugoretz attributed all the incidents to white sharks, describing them as “creatures that can bite a person in this region.” He noted that none of the attacks were fatal.

“Continuously, we have reports of white sharks in the water along the Marin County coastline,” Perry said. “I’m sure all the locals and people here know that sharks are in the water. I hope people show their respect to the family and friends of the missing person. I can’t imagine what they’re going through at this time. I know the responders are thinking of them.”

A spokesperson for Point Reyes National Seashore was not immediately available for comment.