Family, friends continue search for Tomales Bay Oyster Co. owner

Friends and family continued to search the waters of Tomales Bay Thursday, a day after authorities suspended the search for Charles “Tod” Friend, owner of the Tomales Bay Oyster Company in Marshall.

And while no search and rescue workers remain actively looking for 70-year-old Friend, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office planned to have its plane, staffed by volunteers, fly over the search area, said Lt. Doug Pittman.

“It is our intention to, on occasion, use our plane to search the water,” he said. “It’s a missing person’s case. Nothing has been identified to indicate anything other than that. We are going to continue to support the friends and family of Mr. Friend.”

Pittman said that when he went down to the water Thursday to check on the private search effort, he saw about 12 people out in boats and kayaks in the water, looking for Friend, who disappeared from his skiff Tuesday afternoon.

“They’re giving a concerted effort,” Pittman said of the searchers.

You can reach Staff Writer Christi Warren at 707-521-5205 or christi.warren@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @SeaWarren.