Warren Vierra drowned on May 20th after the 22-foot fishing boat he was a passenger in capsized at the mouth of Tomales Bay. Vierra and a friend, Mike Rudy, had been fishing in the bay and were advised by another boat that the wave action at the mouth of the bay was increasing and that it wasn’t safe to travel there. The two nonetheless decided to take a look. According to Rudy, “one second we were spectators, the next second we were participants." When the boat capsized, Rudy was able to swim to shore, but Vierra apparently became trapped in the bow cabin of the boat and drowned. Rudy was able to attract the attention of the operator of a passing boat, who took him to the local marina, where he contacted the Coast Guard. Coast Guard and Marin County SO units responded and retrieved Vierra’s body from the water by helicopter. The boat washed ashore on Tomales Point and was removed on May 25th by a heavy helicopter using a sling. The bar at the mouth of Tomales Bay can be extremely dangerous and has been the site of numerous boat accidents in the past. The sheriff’s office and the NPS are investigating. Ranger Eric Peterson is the ranger assigned to the case.
-NPS-
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
