Coast Guard Rescue Los Altos Windsurfer Near San Mateo Bridge

The U.S. Coast Guard has rescued a Los Altos woman who disappeared while windsurfing near Coyote Point in the San Francisco Bay on Monday evening, a petty officer said.          

Cathy Katon, 62, was found just after 6 a.m. Tuesday, said Petty Officer Emily Wilhite. A helicopter lowered a rescue swimmer into waters close to the center span just north of the San Mateo Bridge.

Katon had more than 20 years' experience as a wind surfer, but her husband told the Coast Guard he was nervous she might be weak, because she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment, Wilhite said.

It is unclear if Katon suffered any injuries, but the Coast Guard said she is in stable condition and would be taken to the hospital for further evaluation.

As many as five different fire departments, including San Mateo-Foster City, Burlingame, Redwood City, San Francisco Airport Division and Alameda County were involved in the search.

Katon had launched from a public beach in Foster City, on the northwest side of the San Mateo Bridge, near the 3rd Ave Kite, a kiteboard school, said Doug Samp, senior chief of U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco. Her husband had stayed on shore, awaiting her return by 5:30 p.m. After an hour he became concerned and called 911.

The San Mateo-Foster City Fire Department responded, followed a half hour later by the Coast Guard, with a helicopter and boat. Other jurisdictions joined the search but then discontinued after dark, except Alameda County and the San Francisco airport division.

Samp said the Coast Guard had been continuously searching overnight and expanded the search parameters to follow the drift of the current, going from south of the San Mateo Bridge, north to Hunters Point in San Francisco, across the bay to Oakland International Airport and south down the shoreline.

New crews were ready to go at first light, in multiple jurisdictions, and do shoreline searches on both sides of the bay, Samp said.

Shoreline water temperature overnight was about 70 degrees, said Samp.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report