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Popular Fishing YouTuber Mikey Rijavec Found Dead Off Baja Coast
The search for a missing California fisherman and YouTube creator came to a heartbreaking end this week after Mexican authorities recovered his body near San Cristobal, Mexico. Mikey Rijavec, known for his SD Fish and Sips channel, had been missing since Nov. 11 when he issued a mayday call while fishing alone off the coast of Baja California.
Rijavec, a San Diego resident with more than 21,000 YouTube subscribers, was fishing eight miles offshore when he radioed for help around 3 p.m. Fellow anglers tried to walk him through an engine issue over the radio, but the call suddenly cut out. According to a GoFundMe update from his family, Rijavec’s motor had dislodged during the mechanical problem, causing his 14 foot skiff to flip.
The overturned boat was recovered five miles off the coast later that day, but neither Rijavec nor the engine was found.
A satellite map highlighting the San Cristóbal area of Baja California Sur, the region where search crews located Rijavec
That moment launched a nearly week long search that drew support from both sides of the border. The Mexican Navy led the investigation, while the U.S. Coast Guard assisted with aircraft and vessels. Dozens of private boat owners also joined in, along with many in the local fishing community who knew Rijavec through his upbeat fishing videos.
On Sunday, family members confirmed that Mexican authorities had located Rijavec’s body in the water near San Cristobal in Baja California Sur.
“As difficult as it is to accept this, we are grateful that it provides us some closure,” the family wrote on GoFundMe. “Everyone poured everything into finding Mikey, because whether they knew him or not, they knew a son, a brother, a friend, a fisherman, a fellow human needed help.”
His family remembered him as someone who lived with intention, positivity and presence, a mindset they say drew people to him on and off the water.
Rijavec sits in his turquoise 14 foot skiff, the same boat later found overturned during the search. Photo: SD Fish and Sips / YouTube
“His mission was to spread his positive energy and make every person he came in contact with better, and he did,” the family said. “If we live by his example we will not only be OK, we will be better.”
Phil Friedman, a close friend, podcaster and fellow angler, said Rijavec was always willing to explore farther, push harder and try something new.
“He is an adventurer. He pushes the envelope. That is part of what we love about him,” Friedman said.
More than $40,000 was raised on GoFundMe to support the search efforts, including gas for boats and aircraft used by volunteers. The U.S. Coast Guard said the case remains under the jurisdiction of the Mexican Navy.
The post Popular Fishing YouTuber Mikey Rijavec Found Dead Off Baja Coast appeared first on OutdoorHub.
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Popular Fishing YouTuber Mikey Rijavec Found Dead Off Baja Coast
The search for a missing California fisherman and YouTube creator came to a heartbreaking end this week after Mexican authorities recovered his body near San Cristobal, Mexico. Mikey Rijavec, known for his SD Fish and Sips channel, had been missing since Nov. 11 when he issued a mayday call while fishing alone off the coast of Baja California.
Rijavec, a San Diego resident with more than 21,000 YouTube subscribers, was fishing eight miles offshore when he radioed for help around 3 p.m. Fellow anglers tried to walk him through an engine issue over the radio, but the call suddenly cut out. According to a GoFundMe update from his family, Rijavec’s motor had dislodged during the mechanical problem, causing his 14 foot skiff to flip.
The overturned boat was recovered five miles off the coast later that day, but neither Rijavec nor the engine was found.
A satellite map highlighting the San Cristóbal area of Baja California Sur, the region where search crews located Rijavec
That moment launched a nearly week long search that drew support from both sides of the border. The Mexican Navy led the investigation, while the U.S. Coast Guard assisted with aircraft and vessels. Dozens of private boat owners also joined in, along with many in the local fishing community who knew Rijavec through his upbeat fishing videos.
On Sunday, family members confirmed that Mexican authorities had located Rijavec’s body in the water near San Cristobal in Baja California Sur.
“As difficult as it is to accept this, we are grateful that it provides us some closure,” the family wrote on GoFundMe. “Everyone poured everything into finding Mikey, because whether they knew him or not, they knew a son, a brother, a friend, a fisherman, a fellow human needed help.”
His family remembered him as someone who lived with intention, positivity and presence, a mindset they say drew people to him on and off the water.
Rijavec sits in his turquoise 14 foot skiff, the same boat later found overturned during the search. Photo: SD Fish and Sips / YouTube
“His mission was to spread his positive energy and make every person he came in contact with better, and he did,” the family said. “If we live by his example we will not only be OK, we will be better.”
Phil Friedman, a close friend, podcaster and fellow angler, said Rijavec was always willing to explore farther, push harder and try something new.
“He is an adventurer. He pushes the envelope. That is part of what we love about him,” Friedman said.
More than $40,000 was raised on GoFundMe to support the search efforts, including gas for boats and aircraft used by volunteers. The U.S. Coast Guard said the case remains under the jurisdiction of the Mexican Navy.
The post Popular Fishing YouTuber Mikey Rijavec Found Dead Off Baja Coast appeared first on OutdoorHub.
Continue reading...