On Friday afternoon June 12th, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Emergency Communications Center received a call for service at about 4:00pm regarding an overdue kayaker.
According to a family member, 19-year-old Nicholas Brunner of McKinleyville, left to go kayaking at about 6:00am and did not return at the agreed upon time. The family member told dispatchers that Brunner’s vehicle was located parked in the Trinidad Harbor area.
The United States Coast Guard and Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, United States Coast Guard and California State Parks responded to begin search and rescue efforts.
While on scene, deputies received additional information that an unmanned kayak had been located by a community member in the area of Luffenholtz Beach. A life vest and additional identifying documents for Brunner were located in the area as well.
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Barracuda, Two Coast Guard Station Humboldt Bay 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crews, Two Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crews, a jet boat and ground search crews from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Rescue divers, lifeguards and a boat from California State Parks searched for Brunner for more than 20 hours.
After an extensive air land and sea search of the Trinidad Bay area covering a total area of 490-square miles the U.S. Coast Guard and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office suspended their search Saturday afternoon at 4:00pm, June 13th.
On Sunday morning at about 9:35am, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office was notified that a volunteer team of citizen divers searching for Brunner’s body had located and recovered his body submerged in an area northwest of Baker Beach which was later positively identified as 19 year old Nicolas Brunner of McKinleyville.
On Sunday morning at about 9:35am, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office was notified that missing kayaker Nicholas Brunner had been located deceased in the southern Trinidad area.
