A joint search and rescue operation was triggered in San Francisco Bay after an unoccupied dinghy with fishing gear was discovered adrift. The San Francisco Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area were prompted to take action due to the potential danger to the boat's undetermined occupants.
Authorities were dispatched to the area off Embarcadero North to investigate the scene; the Fire Department launched its rescue boats, while the Coast Guard provided additional boats and helicopters to aid in the extensive search despite no emergency call being received, the decision to launch a full-scale operation was underpinned by the principle of caution.
Hours of thorough combing of the bay yielded no sign of any individuals associated with the six-foot, unnamed dinghy, leading to the conclusion of the operation. In official updates, the SFFD assured the public that there were no victims to be found and the boat was indeed empty.
UPDATE
— SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) April 28, 2024
We have concluded our search for POSSIBLE occupants of an unoccupied 6’ unnamed dingy (small boat). No victims were located. Contact @USCGPACAREA #PIO for further if needed. https://t.co/eUWIIKRyum pic.twitter.com/tOg8bosUCJ
While the mystery of the abandoned dinghy looms over the bay, the Coast Guard has advised anyone with pertinent information regarding this case to come forward no further details about the dinghy's ownership or how it came to be in its found state have been released at this time, the USCG Public Affairs Office remains available for additional inquiries.
