September 29-30, 2025 25-589 #38

The Team was calleded by the Sheriff’s Office for a report of an overdue kayaker, missing for more than six hours on Mono Lake. The reporting party (RP) stated that their brother intended to paddle to Paoha Island and return to Navy Beach. The weather forecast was poor, and the RP decided to stay close to shore. After a prolonged period without seeing his brother, and with deteriorating weather making travel on the lake treacherous, the RP called 911. Search base was established at Navy Beach.

Despite impending nightfall, the decision was made to conduct a hasty search on both land and waterdue to the immediate threat to life from the extended overdue duration and combined poor weather. Air resources were also requested, but all were grounded due to the weather. Three rescue vehicles, a 4x4 Ranger (OHV) team, an Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) team, shoreline search teams, and an optics team equipped with a spotting scope and night vision goggles (NVGs). The Sheriff’s Office also deployed their patrol boat from the Tioga Lodge boat launch area with SAR members and an MCSO Sergeant SAR Coordinator.

The shoreline team began clearing the south shore toward the east shore. The OHV team began a search from Navy Beach to the northeast side of Mono Lake. The optics team worked from the west/northwest shore, and the IRB launched toward Paoha Island with the intent to circumnavigate and clear the shoreline. The SO patrol boat also worked to clear open water, following wind patterns.

Conditions on the water were rough, with gusty winds, high waves, and darkness. The IRB team worked meticulously to follow the shoreline, clearing with lights, and periodically stopping to whistle and listen. After clearing from south to north counterclockwise, the decision was made to avoid the tufa-lined shallow waters near the west shore for rescuer safety.

The IRB team and all other teams concluded their search assignments with no success. Operations began planning assignments for the following day and awaited cell phone data from MCSO investigators. Just as teams returned to search base, multiple cell phone pings were received from an area along Walker Creek and Highway 395. MOSAR team members searched the area exhaustively, with no success. Operational period 1 ended at 0030 hours on September 30, with a return time to Navy Beach scheduled for 0700 later that morning.

At approximately 0530 hours on the morning of September 30, the RP called the SAR coordinator on duty to report that their brother had just kayaked back to Navy Beach and was not in need of any further assistance. It was determined that he had made it out to the island and when conditions deteriorated, was unable to return. He hunkered down slightly inland on the west shore on Paoha Island, building a small makeshift wind shelter, and decided to depart back toward the beach around 0330 hours when he could no longer keep warm.

The Team returned as scheduled to collect rescue equipment and debrief. An extensive decontamination session was conducted back at the Mono SAR Rescue Building in Mammoth to prepare gear for future operations.

The operation was concluded at 0900 hours on the morning of September 30.

IC: Belcher, Pelichowski Ops: Haugh Responders: Anderson, Baron, Barker, Blackman, Brownlee, Carlson, Creager, Gerber, Glessner, Huizingh, Lipman, Mayernick, Quiring, Salay, Torrence