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Coast Guard Confirms Body Found Is Missing Kayaker

SAUGUS (CBS) - A body found Wednesday morning has been identified as a kayaker that went missing one day earlier, the Coast Guard said.

Craig Dustin Sr., 72, of Saugus, went out fishing Tuesday afternoon and never returned home.  His kayak was found on Short Beach on the Revere-Winthrop line shortly before 10 a.m. Wednesday. His body was found just south of that area less than an hour later.

Dustin was last seen at about 11 a.m. Tuesday when he left a boat ramp near Fox Hill Yacht Club to go fishing on the Saugus River.

He was expected home by 2:30 p.m. Tuesday but never returned. His son found his father's car and alerted the Coast Guard.

"I knew right away something was happening, at 2:30, I knew something was wrong, I knew it because he's never not where he's supposed to be, if he tells you he's going be somewhere, he's there," said Keith Dustin, Dustin's son.

Officials said the kayak, with Dustin nearby, was found approximately three miles south of where he was last seen.

It is unknown when or how Dustin became separated from his kayak.

Officials said that they believe someone had to pull the kayak out of the water for it to be found where it was.

"We continued the search through the night with Coast Guard assets, and then began again in earnest here at first light," Titus told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker.

Weather conditions made search efforts difficult. Clouds kept any helicopters from flying to aid in the search for Dustin.

Craig Dustin Sr.
Craig Dustin Sr. (Family photo)

Paul Malone, a member of the Point of Pines Yacht Club in Revere said he saw Dustin on Tuesday out on the river.

"I was commenting to a friend of mine it was crazy day to be out, it looked kind of choppy out there. I was wondering what he was doing out there in that kind of weather," he told WBZ-TV.

Dustin's family said he always wore a life jacket. Recuse crews did find a life jacket nearby.

Members of Fox Hill Yacht Club, where Dustin belonged, said that he was well liked and they will miss him.

Deedra Majee said, "He was a great man. We all loved him and he was pleasant and he's going to be missed. He really was a fabulous person and we're all just really sad and it's horrible that this happened."

A family friend told WBZ-TV that Dustin's wallet was in the kayak but his cellphone was not. He usually uses a waterproof case for his phone but he left it in his car that day.

Dustin has been married for 50 years, has three adult children and multiple grandchildren. He retired back in January and loved kayaking.

Foul play is not suspected.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker reports

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