UPDATE: Missing Kayaker's BackPack Found in Channel

Lompoc Man Last Seen on Saturday

Gaviota - June 22nd, 2010

Two significant items have been found in the search for a missing kayaker off Gaviota State Beach.

32-year old Sean Daniel Fleming was reported missing yesterday (Monday) when he did not report to his job as a Vandenberg Air Force Base Firefighter. Fleming’s pickup truck was found at the Gaviota State Beach parking lot where he’s believed to have launched his kayak to go fishing on Saturday afternoon (6/19/10).

For the last two days searchers with several public safety agencies have scoured the coastline and ocean looking for any sign of Fleming. At approximately 10:00am this morning a fishing/diving boat found a backpack in the ocean about eight miles south of Santa Barbara. The Sheriff’s Office was able to confirm that the satchel type bag contained items owned by Fleming.

Later in the day, at approximately 2:30pm, a different boat discovered a kayak south of Summerland about nine miles east of where the backpack had been found. The kayak has been confirmed as the one that Fleming was on when he went out fishing.

At the height of the search today the following agencies had deployed the listed resources:

SBSO                                        1 Search and Rescue Coordinator, 1 helicopter
SB Co. Search and Rescue       3 search overhead command staff, 8 searchers
SBC Fire                                   5 searchers, 1 helicopter, 4 personal water craft
Vandenberg Fire                      14 personal, 6 personal water craft
State Parks                               2 searchers, 2 personal water craft
U.S. Coast Guard                      1 Helicopter, 1 cutter

Also assisting the search effort were personnel from Lompoc PD, Santa Barbara City Fire, Carpinteria-Summerland Fire, Ventura County Sheriff Aviation Department.

The Coast Guard suspended its search with the discovery of the kayak. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office will continue its search management until sundown at which time future search efforts will be evaluated.

For more information regarding news related issues
please contact Drew Sugars, Public Information Officer.

Business Hours: (805) 681-4100
EMAIL:pio@sbsheriff.org