February 24, 2026 – Merced County Sheriff's Office officials report that on Sunday afternoon, Deputies responded to the Shaffer Bridge in Winton regarding a missing person. Through their investigation, they learned that the reporting party dropped off 70-year-old Richard Daly in the area of Hwy. 59 at the Merced River Bridge to float the Merced River around 10:00 a.m.

Daly told the reporting party that he would be at the Shaffer Bridge 4 hours later. The reporting party arrived at the area where he was supposed to pick up Daly; however, Daly never arrived. Deputies used an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to search the river, and the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office Air 101 Helicopter responded to the area to assist in searching the river for Daly.

At this time, Daly has not been located; however, our Deputies are actively searching for him. Daly was last seen with a baby blue raft. He is described as a 70-year-old Caucasian male, approximately 5’11" tall, 155 lbs., with long gray hair, a gray beard, and blue eyes. He 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 contact 911.

Source: Merced County Sheriff's Office