Two abalone enthusiasts died in separate incidents Wednesday morning on the Mendocino Coast.
A 60-year-old woman diving for abalone near Lighthouse Road in Point Arena was pronounced dead a little after 7 a.m. At roughly the same time 35 miles to the north in Casper, a 70-year-old Atascadero man died.
The woman's name and hometown were not available Wednesday night, officals said. The cause of death will be determined by autopsy.
The Atascadero man, Arthur Boyd, had been with a group of friends and family picking abalone from rocks in a cove near Pacifica Drive in Casper, according to a Mendocino County sheriff's report.
Just after 7 a.m., Boyd was observed floating face down in the water near shore, the report said.
His companions pulled him from the water and called for medical service, according to the report.
Boyd was pronounced dead at the scene by Fort Bragg ambulance paramedics, according to the Sheriff's Office.
-- Glenda Anderson
