SFU prof missing after kayak accident

SFU prof missing after kayak accident
Jonathan Woodward, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, September 20, 2007

Washington State authorities are combing the waters off Bellingham for a Simon Fraser University professor who went missing while kayaking Wednesday.

This morning, Bellingham Police found Randy Sitter's inflatable yellow kayak on the west side of Lumni Island.

His life-jacket was attached but a bag full of food and personal effects wasn't found, said Lieut. Flo Simon with Bellingham police.

"I'm hoping Mr. Sitter is still alive, that he's actually on land and has no way of communicating or getting off the island," said Simon in an interview.

Sitter is an award-winning professor in the department of statistics and actuarial sciences at SFU. He had been on the waters of Bellingham Bay all day Wednesday.

At about 9 p.m. Wednesday, Sitter's wife, Deanna-Lea, called Bellingham police when he didn't return from a day-long trip.

Sitter's car was discovered in the parking lot at the Fairhaven Boat Launch that night.

The coast guard is searching the water around Lummi Island, while Whatcom search-and-rescue has been scouring the island itself.

Sitter had been kayaking for about six months, and had kayaked in Bellingham Bay twice before, said Simon.

As of posting time, the search has been called off, fearing that Randy has drowned...