Full Notification

A missing ocean kayaker was found by the crew of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter HALIBUT around 3:30 a.m. this morning, approximately nine miles south of Gaviota State Beach Park.  The Solvang resident in his late fifties had gone by himself to the park yesterday at 11:30 a.m. to spend the afternoon kayaking in his recently purchased kayak.  As he was attempting to paddle back to shore and within 100 yards of the Gaviota Pier, strong coastal currents started to carry him back out.  After great effort of trying to paddle into the shore, he rested for a while before trying to reach the beach again.  However, the currents along with the afternoon offshore winds, proved too strong and he was carried further away from the shoreline.

When the kayaker failed to return home, his wife drove last night to Gaviota and contacted the park rangers and lifeguards, whom initiated a search of the coastline and park.  When their initial search efforts could not locate him, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office was contacted for assistance.  Patrol deputies along with members of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team (SBCSAR) responded and assumed the coastal search efforts.  The USCG also responded with a search helicopter from Air Station Los Angeles along with the Cutter HALIBUT.

SBCSAR volunteers, California State Parks lifeguards and Santa Barbara County Fire Department ocean rescue team personnel were set to search the immediate coastline this morning.  A Santa Barbara County Aviation Unit was scheduled to do an aerial search. The USCG calculated where the missing kayaker might be and started searching on the HALIBUT.

Just after 3:30 a.m. the HALIBUT crew spotted an object moving on its Forward Looking Imaging Radar (FLIR) system moving on top of the water and soon discovered it was the missing kayaker.  Upon reaching and rescuing the missing kayaker, they found him to be mildly hypothermic but otherwise in good shape after spending over 14 hours in the open ocean wearing only shorts, a shirt and a life vest.   Just before 6 a.m. this morning the kayaker was brought back to the Santa Barbara City Harbor by the HALIBUT crew.  After being checked out by American Medical Response paramedics, he was released and reunited with his wife.