Lead Noyo River Coast Guard officer in Fort Bragg relieved of position

The U.S. Coast Guard has temporarily relieved the officer-in-charge at Station Noyo River in Fort Bragg citing a “loss of confidence in the member’s ability to lead.”

Senior Chief Boatswain Mate Ryan Sanford has been reassigned to Sector Humboldt Bay, which oversees operations at Noyo River, among several other stations. The action initiates an information gathering process with no set timetable, according to a Coast Guard spokesman Thursday, who said the move was administrative rather than punitive..

Rear Adm. Todd Sokalzuk, Commander of the 11th Coast Guard District, will conduct a second review before issuing a final recommendation to Coast Guard headquarters to restore Sanford or relieve him permanently of the assignment. Chief Warrant Officer Thomas Moore, who was previously the officer-in-charge at Station Golden Gate, will temporarily take over the post.

Station Noyo River is one of 13 search-and-rescue boat stations in the Coast Guard District. The unit’s main area of responsibility extends across approximately 100 miles of Northern California coastline and 50 miles offshore.

The station’s crew of 29 carries out search-and-rescues, as well as other Coast Guard missions. Personnel responded to 94 search-and-rescue cases last year.

-Kevin Fixler