Search for Palo Alto couple lost in Point Reyes moves to water

Officials from the Marin County Sheriff Dive Rescue Team and a K9 Team and Point Reyes National Seashore searched the water surrounding Shell Beach and Tomales Bay for Carol Kiparsky, 77, and her husband, Ian Irwin, 72. The Palo Alto couple was last seen Friday at a rental house on Via de La Vista in the Sea Haven neighborhood of Inverness in west Marin County. less Officials from the Marin County Sheriff Dive Rescue Team and a K9 Team and Point Reyes National Seashore searched the water surrounding Shell Beach and Tomales Bay for Carol Kiparsky, 77, and her husband, Ian ... more Photo: Marin County Sheriff Photo: Marin County Sheriff Image 1 of / 7 Caption Close Search for Palo Alto couple lost in Point Reyes moves to water 1 / 7 Back to Gallery

The focus of a search for a Palo Alto couple that went missing in west Marin County is shifting from land to water.

Carol Kiparsky, 77, and her husband Ian Irwin, 72, were last seen Friday at a rental house on Via de La Vista in the Sea Haven neighborhood of Inverness, an unincorporated and rural community surrounded by Point Reyes National Seashore.

The Marin County Sheriff said in a statement that if the pair were on land, they believe they would have found them after days of searching.

"During our searches with multiple K9 Teams, we have received four independent alerts from Cadaver K9 Teams in the area of Shell Beach," the sheriff's office said in a statement.

Shell Beach sits on Tomales Bay just south of Inverness and is part of Tomales Bay State Park.

The sheriff's office and the U.S. Coast Guard have a four-day plan running Thursday through Sunday with some ground search and a focus on the water at Tomales Bay and along the shoreline. An airplane, a helicopter, boats, drones and a K9 team will all be utilized.

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People in the Inverness area are being asked to be aware of their surroundings and "report anything out of the ordinary or suspicious to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office" at (415) 479-2311.

Kiparsky is 5'2", weighs 115 pounds, and has gray hair and blue eyes. Irwin is 6'1", weighs about 175 pounds and has blue eyes. He is balding with some gray hair. Deputies do not know what clothing they may be wearing.

"We’ve worked tirelessly combing through all leads and areas surrounding the cottage they were vacationing at and are now calling this a recovery mission. We have been in close contact with family and will continue to search for Carol and Ian. Our thoughts are with the Kiparsky and Irwin family during this difficult time," said the sheriff's statement.

Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.