An empty boat spotted floating off the coast of California ended the search for a missing 65-year-old fisherman, the Coast Guard said.
The fisherman, later identified as Joel Kawahara, left Neah Bay, Washington, on a boat called the Karolee and was last heard from on Aug. 8, according to SFGate and an Aug. 14 news release from the United States Coast Guard.
Coast Guard watchstanders tried to make calls to the Karolee, which was seen traveling at four knots for “several days,” but no communication was ever received back, officials said.
On Aug. 12, a Coast Guard aircrew responded to the vessel and tried to make contact but didn’t hear anything, officials said…