All the local media are reporting a missing kayaker who had been camping at Plaskett Creek Campground. His vehicle was found at the campground, but his kayak and gear was gone. He went camping last Wednesday, but was reported missing when he did not return home Sunday around noon as intended. He is 51 year-old Randall Young of Morro Bay.
“Monterey Sherriffs are investigating whether a white kayak, found on Sand Dollar Beach by a local resident, is that of Randall Young.
The Coast Guard is searching the waters with an 87-foot patrol boat, while an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station San Francisco is searching the coastal areas of Big Sur.
Anyone with information about Randall Young, a 6′ 3″ white male, is asked to contact either the Monetery Sherriff’s office at 831-647-7702, or the Coast Guard at 510-437-3701.”
Being temporarily out of the loop, I have no information beyond that carried by local media. This is the second visitor to the South Coast who has gone missing this year – actually, George Carpenter originally went missing around Christmas of 2009, but a full scale search was not conducted until after the New Year. Our prayers go out to Mr. Young’s family and friends.
The Sheriff told me today that a couple of locals found his kayak. They have had a helicopter in he air searching and people on the ground looking too. The girlfriend came up yesterday and took all his things from the campground home. The sad part is he has cancer. The girlfriend said he seemed happy and not depressed because in the back of the officials minds is the thought he may have taken his life. The weather is nice so if he is out there hurt somewhere hypothermia should not be an issue.
That’s all I know for today.
Staying at Plasket with a kayak means he paddled out at Sand Dollar or Willow Creek, two very dangerous places except on very calm summer days. That’s like the guy who died on Shasta in late winter.
Hi Kate, I am a familiar sea kayaker of Sand Dollar and Willow Creek beaches , all the way down from the Big Sur River mouth , and Garapata,,, There is a heap of difference between Sea Kayakers and River-Surf kayakers, and that difference extends to their choice of equipment and boats, too. Sea Kayakers tend to be long term planners, with safety foremost in their minds,,,, where as River- Surf kayakers are more like downhill skiers, or surfers, with minimal equipment, and a Yahoo in their voices.
Soo , looking at the equipment that this kayaker had, would help judge his abilities and his direction.
Sand Dollar even Willow Creek sea kayaking launching from those places, is not for the light hearted, or the in-experienced, beginner.
I can only hope this unfortunate circumstance does not precipatate new regulations that won’t allow sea kayak launching from those beaches, in the future !
Douglas
The scuttlebutt has it that he may have ended his life by suicide, being that he had liver cancer. I was there that day when we saw his kayak on the beach. His truck was parked across the street from the school for the last week, and I gave some useful advice to the deputies on the scene, being that I spend a lot of time out there as a commercial skiff fisherman. Yes, one has to really plan, and use what in the Navy, we called “redundance”, which means have backup equipment and plans for all potential mishaps.
If he did commit suicide, I really wish that I could have had a chance to talk to him…I have been through a gnarly cancer experience back in the 80’s, and came through, though the odds were totally against me. As my wife’s father, an old Idaho fisherman liked to say…”Ya ain’t dead until you ‘tipped over'”. He said that one final day, when he was near death with congestive heart failure. It was in Boise, winter, snowing sideways, and ten degrees out. With a twinkle in his eye, he suggested a fishin’ day at a local mountain lake. So, I packed his oxygen, tackle box, while Jana got sandwiches ready. We stopped at a local truck stop for nightcrawlers (yes, in Idaho, every truck stop carries fishin’ bait!). We headed up to Arrowrock reservoir, cast our lines out the car windows, rolled them up, turned up the country-western tunes up reeeeaaal loud, ate sandwiches and cookies, and cracked a lot of jokes. We didn’t catch nothin’ but had one of the finest fishin’ days ever! He died a few days later, I guess with a smile on his face that he went out in style. I wish that Randy Young could have held on for some final days of good times while he was livin’. Life is precious.
-Captain Lingcod
I am an old friend, I just heard this tragic news about Randy, and have very little information. I am asking if anyone knows who his girlfriend was, at the time of this tragedy…I need to fill in some gaps. HE was an angel to me, I loved him, and want the world to know he spent a season loving me, and caring for me, while I found sobriety…HE WAS AN ANGEL TO ME. I contacted his father just last week, to drop him a message that I am alive and well. I was struck with horrifying information and I am still in shock by this. Please, Kate, if you can connect me with the girlfriend…I need to speak to her. My name is Jeanne, I will include my other details below, anyone with information, can call my cell phone 559-361-2361. God bless you Randy…I will always love you.