Winton, CA (February 23, 2026) — Authorities are actively searching for a 70-year-old man last seen Sunday afternoon near the Merced River after he failed to return from a planned float, the Merced County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
Deputies were called to the Shaffer Bridge area in Winton after a reporting party told investigators they dropped off Richard Daly at about 10 a.m. near Highway 59 at the Merced River Bridge so he could float the river. Daly reportedly told the reporting party he would meet them four hours later at the Shaffer Bridge, but he never showed up.
When Daly did not arrive, deputies began a search of the river and surrounding areas. The sheriff’s office deployed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to assist with the search, and the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office Air 101 helicopter responded to help scan the river corridor. As of this writing, Daly has not been located.
Daly is described as a 70-year-old Caucasian male approximately 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing about 155 pounds. He has long gray hair, a gray beard and blue eyes. At the time he was last seen, Daly was wearing a gray and green jacket with a black hood and a black hat and was using a baby blue raft.
The search continues as deputies and air units canvass the river and banks in and around the Shaffer Bridge area.
Anyone with information on Daly’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Merced County Sheriff’s Office at (209) 385-7445 or call 911.
