Missing Seaside kayaker’s body found

SEASIDE, Ore. (AP) – Authorities say they have found the body of a kayaker who went missing while crabbing in the Seaside Estuary.

The Seaside Police Department says Wednesday that 42-year-old Matthew Manley’s body was spotted at the waterline of the Pacific Ocean west of the Seaside Turnaround.

Manley had been missing since New Year’s Day, when he was last seen on his kayak near the mouth of the Necanicum River.

Authorities are still looking for the Tualatin man’s kayak.

They say it may have been taken from the shoreline some time Tuesday and they are asking anyone with information to call the Seaside police.

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City of Seaside news release:

Seaside, Ore. — January 3, 2018 — On January 2, 2018 at approximately 6:12 p.m., the Seaside Police Department was notified of a deceased person found at the waterline of the Pacific Ocean west of the Seaside Turnaround. The deceased was later confirmed to be Matthew Manley, age 42, of Tualatin, Oregon.

Manley was reported missing on Monday, January 1, around 2:45 p.m. after having gone crabbing from a kayak in the Seaside Estuary near the mouth of the Necanicum River. Late that afternoon Seaside Fire and Rescue as well as the U.S. Coast Guard responded to assist with the search for Manley.

The U.S. Coast Guard continued searching for Manley through the evening hours with helicopter crews, and overnight by boat until 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, at which time the search was called off. The Coast Guard uses a survivability model based on weather conditions, survival equipment and the assets involved. Coast Guard crews deployed included Sector Columbia River Helicopter crews on rotation and 47-foot motor lifeboats on rotation from Station Cape Disappointment.

The Seaside Police Department is still looking for the missing kayak as officials believe it may have been removed from the beach shoreline on January 2. Anyone with additional information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Guy Knight with the Seaside Police Department at 503-738-6311.

The City of Seaside reminds those recreating in and around open waters to use extreme caution any time of year. Water temperatures in the winter are near 50 degrees and can result in hypothermia in a very short amount of time. Let someone know if you are planning to be around the water. Please observe proper safety and use a flotation device around the ocean and rivers.