Man falls off sailboat in Columbia River

Published 2:12 pm Monday, October 11, 2010

WESTPORT, Ore. — Search boats from sheriff offices in Clatsop County and Wahkiakum County, Wash., continued their search on the Columbia River on Monday for a man who fell overboard from a sailboat.

The Clatsop sheriff’s office says 46-year-old Arlie M. Hoefling of Aurora was sailing to Astoria in his 65-foot sailboat “Bad Dog” on Sunday when it was hit by a strong gust of wind. The chair Hoefling was sitting on tore from the deck, and he fell into the water. He was not wearing a life jacket and disappeared from sight.

His three children, ages 13 to 18, dropped the sails and called for help. They were OK.

The Coast Guard searched with a boat from Ilwaco, Wash., and helicopter from Astoria and suspended its search Sunday night.