Danny Marron’s brand-new outrigger kayak washed up near Mission Bay on Friday, broken in half.
It’s been the only sign of him since he went missing. Marron’s last known location is where his phone pinged south of Mission Bay just before 2 p.m. that afternoon.
A surfer who goes by “Wolfie” was at Mission Beach Friday morning when Marron went out on the water around 11:45 Wolfie said didn’t see Marron, but did say the water was calm — at first.
“The surf was relatively small, maybe waist high, chest high, and then all of a sudden, within two to three, it was well overhead, double overhead," Wolfie said. "From, say, maybe three foot to, like, eight foot.”
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Wolfie said he didn't get in the water at that point because high surf paired with intensifying winds made it too dangerous. He said he could see it being too late for someone already caught in it.
“What can go right in that moment?” Wolfie said. “I mean, if you're in a situation like that, hopefully you have your life preserver on. Unfortunately, it's all hindsight right now.”
The Coast Guard and partner agencies searched for Marron using helicopters, a 45-foot response boat from Station San Diego, and the Coast Guard cutter Sea Otter but found no signs of Marron.
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The missing man, who is from Yuma, Arizona, has a wife and daughter, and is also a youth ministry bishop.
Over the phone, Marron’s niece told NBC7 that their family is still canvassing, passing out flyers and holding out hope.
Wolfie said the local community is learning from this. Although the water may be calm at present, that can change in an instant.
“It just puts everything in perspective, that you're dealing with the ocean,” Wolfie said. “You're dealing with Mother Nature.”
The Coast Guard decided to suspend the search after considering environmental factors and the probability of survival. They also said that, while operations are suspended for now, the smallest new piece of evidence could reopen it at any time.
