On Monday, two men were rescued after a wave knocked them and another person into the waters off Muir Beach; the third SF fisherman, Jose Padilla, has yet to be found.
According to the National Parks Service (NPS), a body was recovered near Muir Beach Friday afternoon. Though the identity of the body has yet to be released (or determined for that matter), it's believed it could belong to Padilla, given the proximity to where it was found.
Thanks to the professionalism of @MarinSAR for using their training in technical rope rescue. They confirmed the location of the deceased and directed @sonomasheriff Henry 1 helo for transport to a waiting MC Coroner, to end this family tragedy.
— Golden Gate NPS - Alerts (@GGNRANPSAlerts) February 12, 2022
"Partner agencies [Marin County Fire Department] and [Sonoma County Sheriff's Departing] have located and removed the body of a man from the beach below Muir Beach Overlook," reads a tweet from Golden Gate NPS – Alerts. "Identification will be made by the MC Coroner's office. To protect the family no media interviews."
As ABC7 noted, the Coast Guard, NPS, and other local agencies had searched from air, water, and land since Padilla — who was expected to celebrate his 29th birthday this past Wednesday — went missing Monday. Alas, they've had no luck in finding the man yet; on Tuesday, the rescue search turned into a recovery operation.
The news outlet also reported that Padilla's fiancé said he moved to San Francisco from Honduras when he was 15 years old; Padilla was studying Biotechnology at City College of San Francisco.
It's expected that Marin County Coroner’s office will release the identity of the body soon to the public after all private parties have been informed of who it belongs to.
Related: Four Whales Turn Up Dead In Bay Area In a Week, One Killed By Ship Strike [2021]
Photo: Getty Images/DianeBentleyRaymond
