SAN FRANCISCO - The Coast Guard suspended the search for a missing airman with the California Air National Guard reportedly swept into the water by a wave south of Monterey, Tuesday evening.
The missing airman is assigned to the 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Field; he was in an off-duty status.
Coast Guard Station Monterey personnel were notified at 9:36 am of the incident off of Garrapata State Beach. A Coast Guard Station Monterey 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew and a Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco helicopter rescue crew immediately launched to respond. State Park Rangers, Lifeguards, Monterey County Sheriffs and Cal Fire also responded with search crews both on land and in the water.
"The decision to suspend a search and rescue case is one of the most difficult decisions to make,” said Capt. Greg Stump, commander, Coast Guard Sector San Francisco. “I want to extend my sincere condolences to the family, friends and California Air National Guard. After conducting an extensive search for seven hours with our partner agencies, we made the challenging decision to suspend the active search."