Windsurfer Rescued After Cold Night on Bay

Monday was a sleepless night for Los Altos windsurfer and her worried husband.

A Los Altos woman apparently kept her wits about her overnight and survived 12 hours out in the San Francisco Bay following a windsurfing mishap.

The U.S. Coast Guard plucked 62-year-old Cathy Caton from Coyote Point in Foster City at 6 a.m. Tuesday. Canton went out for a quick surfing trip at 5 p.m. Monday.  Her husband said her sail became detached from the surfboard, which took away any  power to get back to shore.

He reported her missing when she didn't return and he was worried about it getting dark. A search Monday night was not successful, but when the sun came up Tuesday the Coast Guard helicopter found her close to where she was last seen.

Caton is an expert windsurfer but is not at full health because she is undergoing chemotherapy, her husband said. 

The Coast Guard said she did the right thing after getting in trouble. She did not fight the current and stayed calm throughout the night. Rescuers said she suffered hypothermia, but is expected to recover.

Contact Us