BODEGA BAY, Calif. — A significant search operation conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard has been halted for four individuals who went missing after their boat overturned in Northern California over the weekend. The search concluded after rescuers found an 11-year-old boy safe and retrieved the body of a teenager, officials confirmed on Monday.

The search commenced on Saturday evening when the Coast Guard was alerted that a 21-foot boat, carrying three adults and three children, had not returned to the shore in Sonoma County, located north of San Francisco. According to Chief Petty Officer Levi Read of the Coast Guard, this triggered an immediate response involving aerial, maritime, and land search teams.

On Sunday, rescuers successfully located the 11-year-old boy along South Salmon Creek Beach, situated north of Bodega Bay. The boy, who was wearing a life vest, was transported to a hospital for assessment and treatment. In interviews conducted by first responders, he mentioned that the boat had capsized, as stated by Deputy Rob Dillion from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office in an interview.

Later in the day, search teams discovered the body of a teenager floating in the water. Reports indicate that the group involved included five family members and a family friend aboard a blue and white Bayliner. They had departed from Bodega Bay at around 3 p.m. on Saturday, coinciding with the opening of the recreational Dungeness crab season. The group, hailing from Corning—approximately 170 miles north of San Francisco—was attempting to fish for crab and had a planned return to shore by 7 p.m.

When the group failed to arrive, a concerned family member reached out to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, which subsequently contacted the Coast Guard for assistance. The search effort, which included personnel from eight local, state, and federal agencies, was suspended on Sunday evening but may be resumed if new information becomes available to refine the search parameters. The total area searched exceeded 2,100 square miles.

In a statement, U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Michael L. Zapawa, who was in charge of the search operations, expressed the difficulty of the decision to suspend the search. He extended condolences, saying, “The decision to suspend a search is always difficult to make and never done lightly. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the missing boaters during this incredibly difficult time.”