A paddle boarder's brief disappearance off the coast of Half Moon Bay ended well on Monday night, as local authorities safely located the individual. According to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, the call about the missing person at Pillar Point Harbor came in around 7 p.m.
The paddle-boarding couple had ventured into the ocean waters as the sun dipped but separated in the process. Upon losing sight of her partner, the wife alerted authorities to her husband's disappearance. A brief search involving the Sheriff's deputies, the Coastside Fire Protection District, the San Mateo County Harbor District, and the U.S. Coast Guard resulted in the man's safe discovery and returning to his vehicle.
In light of the incident and the potential hazard it underscored, the Sheriff's Office took the opportunity to issue safety guidelines. They stressed the importance of avoiding water activities at night when the conditions can turn precarious, visibility plummets, and losing contact with companions can happen all too easily.
