Fishing Influencer Mikey Rijavec Found Dead After Mayday Call

17 November 2025

In an eerie final chapter to his adventurous life, YouTube fishing creator Mikey Rijavec, known for his SD Fish and Sips channel, was found dead on November 16, 2025 five days after issuing a mayday call while fishing eight miles off the coast of Baja California.

Rijavec’s disappearance began on November 11 when he recorded an engine failure aboard his 14-foot skiff and broadcast what appeared to be a genuine plea for help. The U.S. Coast Guard, the Mexican Navy, and dozens of ground and air units joined the search within hours. The boat was later found off the coast, but the six-horsepower motor was missing a grim detail that foreshadowed the tragedy.

His brother Gregory, who helped organise the search via a GoFundMe page, confirmed the recovery of Rijavec’s body near San Cristobal on the morning of November 16. “As difficult as it is to accept this we are grateful that it provides us some closure,” Gregory posted on the site, emphasising that “love” had driven the thousands of hours spent locating his brother.

While the exact cause of death has not been publicly released, the circumstances suggest a traumatic chain of events at sea. The mayday call, the stranded craft, the missing engine each piece binds into a broader story of risk, isolation and the instability of recording adventure content live. Rijavec began his Internet journey sharing fishing trips, narrated with enthusiasm and humor. His fans watched as he battled big catches, harsh elements and long days on the water. That work earned him tens of thousands of followers and a reputation as a relatable outdoor creator.

Behind the fun-on-the-waves persona was a serious content machine. He connected with viewers through commentary about gear, technique, and marine life, while always reminding audiences of the unpredictability of his setting the sea. Yet this time that unpredictability proved fatal. His engine failure transformed from technical glitch to life-threatening ordeal, and the pursuit of content became inextricable from survival.

Family and friends have spoken of Mikey’s “positive energy,” his readiness to lift others up, and the way he lived each day with intention. Gregory wrote that Mikey “prepared us to deal with this,” pointing to the lasting impact of his character rather than just the cause of his disappearance.

For the fishing and outdoor-influencer community the loss reverberates deeply. These channels, driven by authenticity and edge, often mirror adventure sports with low margins for error. Viewers tend to see the big catch or the scenic sunset, but seldom the mechanic problem 30 miles offshore, the distress call, the drifting craft. The tragedy brings into sharp relief the balance these creators walk between delivering thrilling content and safeguarding personal security.

In Mexico, officials joined the search and recovery efforts, demonstrating how the ocean knows no borders and how rescue missions rely on cooperation across agencies. The role of yachts, planes and volunteer crews in finding Mikey also highlights the vast resources sometimes mobilised when a single person vanishes under these circumstances.

For Rijavec’s audience, the final video of him reporting engine trouble plays now as eerie foreshadowing the routine fishing expedition turning into distress. Comments beneath his last posts express shock, grief and disbelief. Fans have shared memories of his catch-videos, his laugh, his willingness to teach and respond to questions. “He made fishing fun,” one follower wrote, “and now it hurts to hit play.”

As the community mourns, questions linger. How might this incident reshape how outdoor-adventure creators approach risk? Will platforms or sponsors reconsider live-streaming in remote conditions? And most pressingly for those left behind how does one plan for an unexpected absence when the job is self-driven and location-free?

Gregory’s tribute continues to resonate with viewers when he says: “Mikey’s body was found and we begin to process. There is grief, yes. But also the belief that he made others better.” The job he loved, the channel he built, the audience he inspired these are the markers of his life and legacy.

In the end Mikey Rijavec’s passing is a tragic reminder that paying tribute to outdoor-lifestyle influencers means recognising both their brand and the price they may pay. In his final hours he did exactly what he always did: he set out on the water, anchored by purpose and passion, unaware of how the day would end. For his loved ones, fans and followers his memory now looks less to the catch and more to the man who made each trip matter.