Update: Man still missing after planned rafting trip, Merced County sheriff says
Update: Merced County Sheriff’s Office dive team members have continued to search for Richard Daly to no avail. As of 1:45 p.m. Tuesday, there is still no sign of him, a sheriff’s department spokesperson said. Dive team members searched Monday and Tuesday and have not located Daly.
Original story:
A 70-year-old man is missing after he planned to raft the Merced River on Sunday, the Merced County Sheriff’s Office said.
Richard Daly was dropped off by a friend in the area of Highway 59 at the Merced River Bridge to float the Merced River around 10 a.m.
He was supposed to be picked up by the friend at the Shaffer Bridge in Winton about four hours later, but Daly never showed, the Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
Merced County deputies used an unmanned aerial vehicle to search the river for Daly but did not locate him. The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department assisted with the search by using its helicopter.
Daly was last seen with a baby blue raft. He is described as white, about 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing about 155 pounds. He has long gray hair, a gray beard and blue eyes, the post said.
Daly was last seen wearing a gray and green jacket with a black hood and a black hat.
Anyone with information on Daly’s whereabouts is urged to call the Merced County Sheriff’s Office at 209-385-7445 or call 911.
This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 11:55 AM.
