The county Medical Examiner’s Office announced Friday they had identified a body found near Ocean Beach Pier earlier this week as the body of a kayaker who disappeared out of Mission Bay.
Investigators said Daniel Marron III was found dead Wednesday by San Diego Fire-Rescue lifeguards after a surfer spotted a corpse in the waves earlier that morning.
The body was secured and a perimeter was set up around the scene to give investigators time to identify the body and determine the cause of death, officials said.
Marron was first reported missing Feb. 14 after an outrigger kayak that was broken in two was found west of the Mission Bay entrance channel, investigators said.
Officials later confirmed the kayak belonged to a man who had left the bay around 11:45 a.m. that morning.
Over the next 52 hours, a search for Marron used helicopters, boats, personal watercraft and surfboards to cover a nearly 460-square-mile area.
While speaking with Fox 5/KUSI earlier this week, Marron’s wife, Eryka Arizaga, said that in addition to her husband being a teacher and community spiritual leader, he was also an experienced waterman who was familiar with the route.
A GoFundMe page was set up to support the family. As of Friday, it had raised over $25,000.
