Overview
- Authorities identified the two victims as 36-year-old Casey Flynn Melia of San Francisco and 37-year-old Alexander Ferguson of Pacifica.
- The pair launched a canoe from White Gulch Beach shortly before midnight to view bioluminescence and did not return, prompting their camping party to call 911 the next morning and trigger a search-and-rescue.
- Rescuers found one canoeist unresponsive in the water and the U.S. Coast Guard took that person to Bodega Bay where they were pronounced dead, and later the National Park Service recovered the second near Hog Island and brought them to Sacramento Landing where they were also pronounced dead.
- Officials said both men were wearing life jackets when found and that the cause and manner of death remain pending with postmortem and toxicology testing scheduled and a joint investigation underway by Marin and Sonoma counties, the Coast Guard and the National Park Service.
- Local guides and outfitters warned that Tomales Bay’s cold water, strong currents and limited nighttime visibility make canoeing risky and recommended sturdier boats, wetsuits, 360-degree lights, backup communications and never paddling alone.