The Coast Guard has suspended its search for a 17-year-old male after completing more than 9.5 hours of combined intensive searches in the vicinity of Norton Gulch after the Coos County Sheriff’s Office received reports just after 8:00pm Sunday evening that a man climbing rocks had slipped, fallen and struck his head.
Witnesses stated that the man identified as 17 year old Ian Spaulding of North Bend, was observed in and out of consciousness floating in the ocean, but that they had lost sight of the man prior to Coos County Sheriff’s Deputies arrival.
As Coast Guard resources searched an area from Sunset Beach State Park to Bandon, utilizing both helicopter and boat, over 100 volunteers assisted Search and Rescue and Sheriff’s Office personnel in the search effort searching surrounding trails and shoreline from Sunset Beach to Cape Arago State Park.
The Dive team, with the assistance of a Coast Guard helicopter was taken to the area, however, due to hazardous ocean conditions, the dive was called off.
Sector North Bend dispatched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew and 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew out of Station Coos Bay to responded at 8:00pm and Air and boatcrews saturated the Sunset Bay State Park area several times throughout the night in an effort to locate the teenager.
Coast Guard Sector North Bend coordinated three searches throughout Sunday night and Monday morning to assist the Coos County Sheriff’s Office.
After meeting with Coast Guard command, and taking into consideration the large and extensive search on both land and sea, the search was suspended by both the Coos County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Coast Guard was suspended Monday afternoon.
