12:14 PM: The U.S. Coast Guard this morning suspended its search for a man who was lost in the Bay on Sunday afternoon after his kayak overturned near San Francisco’s Pier 80.
Thomas Gregoire, 56, was kayaking with a friend when his kayak flipped over. The incident was reported around 2:40 p.m. by a professional mariner who was mooring a motorboat in the area, according to the Coast Guard.
Gregoire apparently got too close to a tugboat that was repositioning a barge and got caught in the boat’s wash, San Francisco police spokesman Officer Carlos Manfredi said.
He was wearing a red shirt and blue vest when he entered the water, authorities said.
The Coast Guard and police searched the Bay for about 18 hours for Gregoire before calling off the search shortly before 9:30 a.m. today.
Authorities said that because of the time that has lapsed since he went into the water, it is unlikely that Gregoire is still alive.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
7:08 AM: The U.S. Coast Guard searched overnight and into the morning for a man who was lost in the water Sunday afternoon after his kayak overturned near Pier 80 in San Francisco.
Thomas Gregoire was kayaking with a friend when his kayak flipped over Sunday, according to U.S. Coast Guard Ensign Mark Leahey. The incident was reported around 2:40 p.m. by a professional mariner who was mooring a motorboat in the area, Leahey said.
San Francisco police spokesman Officer Carlos Manfredi said it appeared that the kayaker “got a little too close” to a tugboat that was repositioning a barge and was caught in the boat’s wash.
Gregoire was wearing a red shirt and a blue vest when he entered the water, Leahey said.
A joint search was conducted Sunday afternoon by the San Francisco Fire and Police departments and the Coast Guard, involving a helicopter, boats and divers.
Assistant Fire Chief Dave Franklin said the fire department pulled its divers from the water after several hours of searching because the search became a “recovery operation.” Based on the time lapsed since the incident and the circumstances under which Gregoire disappeared, Franklin said it was unlikely he was still alive.
Coast Guard air and boat crews were still searching as of 6:30 a.m. and a Coast Guard official said the search will continue into the day.
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