KCOY Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo - News-Coast Guard Suspends Search for Missing Arroyo Grande Boy

Coast Guard Suspends Search for Missing Arroyo Grande Boy

5/16/09

SANTA MARIA - The Coast Guard has suspended the search for 9 year old Kailanii Brannum who went missing in the waters off northern Vandenberg Air Force base on Wednesday.

The search and rescue operation resumed at first light Thursday morning.

Rescuers from the Coast Guard were joined by crews from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's and Fire Departments, Guadalupe Fire Department and from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

"The Coast Guard assets as well as the other assets on scene have done a total of 332 nautical track line searches", says Coast Guard Spokesperson Lt. Stephanie Young, "and that doesn't include shoreline searches from the other agencies."

The search and rescue operation for Kailanii Brannum began at about 5:00pm Wednesday night several hours after the Sheriff's Department says he was knocked down by a wave while on the beach at Mussel Point.

"Then a wave brings him out to the sea and he was last seen clutching onto a rock", says Sheriff's Department Lt. George Gingras.

The Sheriff's Department says Kailanii Brannum was camping at Mussel Point with three adults and another young boy.

Experts say chances of anyone, let alone a 9 year old boy, surviving in the ocean without a wetsuit with water temperatures in the low to mid 50's diminish rapidly with each passing hour.

A relative of Kailanii Brannum says his family is holding onto hope that somehow someway he'll be found alive and well.

It will be up to the Coast Guard Commander in Los Angeles to decide if and when to resume the search for Kailanii Brannum and if it will change from search and rescue to search and recovery.