Man Missing in Trinity River

The man reported last night as having drowned near Hoopa is still the subject of a search today, explained Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Selena Zorrilla-Mendoza. “At this point we aren’t classifying this as a drowning. We are still treating this as a missing person’s case,” she said. Paul Michael Martin, a 22-year-old white male adult from Eureka, is being sought along the Trinity River today.

Zorrilla-Mendoza explained that yesterday the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a call about 5:10 reporting that subjects were calling for help at the Vista Point near Hoopa.

Multiple agencies were called  in to search. The Hoopa Volunteer Fire Department and the Hoopa Valley Police reached the area and began looking. The United States Coast Guard helicopter arrived to assist also.

“The Hoopa Valley Police located one of the subjects stranded on a bank and was able to get him safely back across the river,” Zorrilla-Mendoza said. “One subject was able to get himself back to a safe location.”

However, Paul Michael Martin had not been located when the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office called off the search. The search is slated to begin again today..

It is still under investigation as to how they got into the river, said Zorrilla-Mendoza.

UPDATE 11:23 a.m.: Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Wednesday, April 6, 2016, at about 5:10 p.m., the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a report of three people in the Trinity River near Tish Tang Campground, in Hoopa. Deputies arrived and met with Hoopa Valley Tribal Police Officers, Hoopa Volunteer Fire personnel, and the US Coast Guard. It was learned that three male subjects entered the Trinity River at Tish Tang Creek at about 4:30 p.m. All three subjects got caught in the swift current and carried downstream.

The first subject was able to swim to shore where he requested help. The second subject was located near Vista Point on a riverbank. HVTPD rescued the second subject by boat and returned him to safety. The third subject was not located.

Deputies along with rescue personnel searched for the third subject, 22 year old Paul Michael Martin until dark. The search for Martin continues today, Thursday, April 7, 2016.

Anyone with information for the Sheriff’s Office regarding this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.

UPDATE 8:03 p.m.: Tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. a group will meet to search the Trinity River.