Authorities are conducting an urgent search for a 70-year-old fisherman who disappeared Tuesday afternoon near Pinole Shores. Tito C. Montances was last seen around 1:30 p.m. preparing to launch a green, single-rider canoe.
Montances is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing approximately 180 pounds. He was last seen wearing a navy blue jacket, light-colored shorts, and black shoes. His vehicle was later discovered parked at 1 Tennent Ave. in Pinole, close to the wastewater treatment plant.
The Hercules Police Department, along with the U.S. Coast Guard, initiated search efforts Tuesday evening after Montances’s family reported him missing when he failed to return home. Initial searches by Hercules police and the East Bay Regional Park District, utilizing drones along the shoreline, did not locate him. The U.S. Coast Guard has since taken the lead on search operations, employing air and water assets in San Pablo Bay.
Investigators are appealing to residents in areas near the shoreline to be vigilant for any signs of Montances or his canoe and to report any potential sightings immediately. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Hercules Police Department dispatch at (510) 724-1111 or the U.S. Coast Guard at (415) 399-7300.