A tragic end to the search for a surfer who vanished at Drakes Beach, as the Marin County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a body found floating in the ocean waters on Wednesday was that of the missing Fairfax man.

According to a press release by the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, the deceased is identified as Darren Michael Smith, 55. Smith was reported missing after he was last seen surfing around 10 a.m. on May 1, and his surfboard was found washed ashore at around 1 p.m. Despite the prompt response and an exhaustive search by multiple agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard and the Marin County Fire Department, Smith's life could not be saved.

The search concluded when Smith's body was spotted by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter nearly 2.5 miles northwest of the Drakes Beach parking area at approximately 5:33 PM. He was pronounced dead two minutes later, "unconscious, unresponsive, and exhibited signs of physiologic death," the official statement said.

A forensic postmortem examination, including routine toxicology testing, is scheduled for Friday, May 3rd, to determine the cause and manner of Smith's death. As this remains an active investigation by the Point Reyes National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service) and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office - Coroner Division, no further details will be disclosed. Prior to his untimely death, Smith had been recently arrested with criminal charges filed against him, details of which can be found in a previous MCSO press release.

The Marin County Sheriff's Office extended their condolences to Smith's family and friends in light of this event. The Point Reyes National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service) has been designated as the point of contact for further inquiries on the incident.