# Pacific Ocean maritime rescue of sailor and dog

> Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/pacific-ocean-maritime-rescue-of-sailor-and-dog
> Updated: 2026-11-04T00:00:00.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2.

An 86-year-old sailor and his dog were rescued in the Pacific Ocean after being missing for more than two months. The pair had been sailing the vessel Willow Wind from Astoria, Oregon, toward Pago Pago, American Samoa, when they lost contact on August 20.

Following an overdue alert on October 24, the U.S. Coast Guard launched search operations involving aircraft and the Coast Guard Cutter Robert Ward. An emergency radio beacon was detected, leading aircraft to locate the damaged sailboat approximately 460 miles off the coast of San Diego.

The commercial vessel Grand Orion arrived at the scene to assist, though rough sea conditions initially delayed the transfer. The man and his dog were eventually brought aboard the Grand Orion and subsequently rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. The sailor was transported to Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego for medical evaluation, where he was reported to be exhausted but without major injuries.

## Timeline

### 2026-11-04: U.S. Coast Guard rescues 86-year-old man and dog off California coast

An 86-year-old man and his dog were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard after their sailboat drifted for two months off the California coast.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/us-coast-guard-rescues-86-year-old-man-and-dog-off-california-coast

### 2026-10-31: US Coast Guard rescues 86-year-old sailor and dog after two months at sea

An 86-year-old sailor and his dog were rescued off the California coast after vanishing for two months during a trans-Pacific voyage.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/us-coast-guard-rescues-elderly-sailor-and-dog-off-california-coast

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Cite as: Pacific Ocean maritime rescue of sailor and dog. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/pacific-ocean-maritime-rescue-of-sailor-and-dog