‘Chances of rescue have been exhausted’: Coast Guard suspends search for missing 79-year-old kayaker

Crews searched the waters near Ocean Shores and Westport for nearly a full day looking for a 79-year-old woman who vanished while kayaking.

But just before 2 p.m. Tuesday, after crews searched until midnight Monday and continued their efforts at sunrise Tuesday, the Coast Guard called off the search.

“Suspending a search is never a decision we make lightly,” Lieutenant Commander Jacquilne Hunnicutt, the search-and-rescue mission coordinator, stated. “We work methodically with our partners, using every available resource, until all reasonable chances of rescue have been exhausted. Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

Grays Harbor dispatch first received a report that a kayaker had not been seen by her husband for the past hour after they became separated due to weather in the vicinity of Oyhut Bay. The husband contacted Grays Harbor officials at 6 p.m. Monday.

The kayaker and her husband were paddling near Oyhut Bay Monday evening when the weather got rough, causing them to separate. A helicopter later spotted her green kayak upside down in the water.

There were no signs of the missing woman prior to the suspension of the search.

Grays Harbor Fire and Police, the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office, Ocean Shores Police, and Washington State Parks all assisted the Coast Guard in their search for the woman.

This is a developing story, check back for updates 

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