Storm brings two fatalities and ongoing missing boy search 

From north to south, the farthest corners of San Luis Obispo County are afflicted with tragedy due to the recent historic rainstorms.

The deaths of two people were classified as storm-related fatalities, while local law enforcement and the state's National Guard are still searching for a missing boy who was swept away by rising water.

"A woman, 60-year-old Karen Buccat of Avila Beach, died on Jan. 9 on Avila Beach Road when floodwaters overtook her vehicle," Tony Cipolla, the SLO County Sheriff's Office spokesperson, told New Times on Jan. 17.

At 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 9—the day the storms hit—California Highway Patrol Dispatch received numerous calls about Buccat's vehicle being submerged by the water with her in it. Avila Beach Drive was closed earlier in the day, according to CHP's press release. Cal Fire deployed a swift water rescue because Buccat's car was inaccessible to standard emergency vehicles.

"They located a white Ford Escape overtaken by floodwaters," the press release read. "The driver was found deceased within her vehicle."

Further north, in Morro Bay, local police found a man dead in his boat. Cmdr. Amy Watkins of the Morro Bay Police Department told New Times that while his cause of death is still unknown, the fatality was labeled as "storm-related" because it happened during the rains.

The victim was 78 years old and reportedly lived for 35 years in a boat on stilts at a boat storage yard on 1548 Main St.

"People asked if they could evacuate him, and he refused," Watkins said. "The boat was seen upright on stilts on Monday [Jan. 9] evening. By 7 a.m. on Tuesday—I don't know if it was the wind—the boat was dislodged and found on its side."

Watkins added that the yard owner discovered the deceased man when he went to check on him and the boat. The police turned the case over to the county coroner's office to determine the cause of death. Officials haven't yet identified his next of kin.

"He used to put boats together manually," Watkins said. "He was a boat guy, a minimalist."

Against the backdrop of the storm, SLO County is also reeling from the missing persons case of 5-year-old Kyle Doan from near San Miguel. Doan disappeared on Jan. 9 after the flood carried him away from his mother and her stuck truck in San Miguel. Passersby helped Doan and his mother exit the truck when raging waters pulled him away.

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• Photo From SLO County Sheriff's Office Press Release
• ONGOING The SLO County Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement agencies are nearing their tenth day of searching for 5-year-old Kyle Doan who was swept away by floods.

Since then, the Sheriff's Office has conducted daily hours-long searches in and around San Marcos Creek and Salinas River. Outside agencies supplemented their efforts. The Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team, Underwater Search and Rescue Team, Drone Team, air operations, deputies, and detectives were joined by dive teams and search and rescue counterparts from Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office provided local law enforcement with sonar equipment. On Jan. 11, more than 100 National Guard personnel arrived to help with the search. Locally, Cal Fire, the Five Cities Fire Authority, the Grover Beach Police Department, and six K9 teams joined forces.

On Jan. 18, their efforts were still underway.

"The water levels have started to subside in parts of the San Marcos Creek and the Salinas River, allowing crews to search new areas. This is a large expanse of water which must be thoroughly searched," read a press update from the Sheriff's Office.

Green ribbons are now commonly found around North County. They are being distributed to raise awareness and support Doan's family, according to KSBY reporting. They're available at Paso Robles' Savage Spirits and Deli and One Stop Food, and in AutoZone and SloDoCo in Atascadero. ∆