DIVER'S DEATH 8TH THIS YEAR OFF NORTH COAST: SAN JOSE MAN WAS HUNTING ABALONE NEAR POINT ARENA LIGHTHOUSE
Published on May 22, 2007
© 2007- The Press Democrat
BYLINE: GLENDA ANDERSON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
PAGE: A1
Memo: ONLINE Visit pressdemocrat.com to view Sonoma County Sheriff's Department video of Monday's rescue efforts.
A 59-year-old San Jose man apparently drowned Monday morning while abalone diving near the Point Arena lighthouse, adding to an already high ocean-death toll for the year, authorities said.
``Now we have six,'' said Mendocino County Sheriff's Capt. Kevin Broin, of those who have died along the Mendocino County coast.
All the victims have died since April 7. Four of them were hunting for abalone, two within a quarter-mile of Monday's accident.
Two other people have died in waters off the Sonoma County coast this year, one who fell from a dock and another who was scuba diving.
The dead man's identity was not released Monday, pending notification of his family, Broin said.
The victim was diving for abalone with at least two others when something went wrong, he said.
What exactly happened is unclear because of a language barrier, Broin said. Coast Guard Petty Officer Stephan Brandt said the divers spoke Vietnamese.
One of the members of the diving group had to run a quarter-mile north to the lighthouse to call for help, delaying a possible rescue, said Redwood Coast Fire Protection Chief Mike Suddith.
The first call for emergency assistance was made at 8:51 a.m., he said.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Department's Henry-1 helicopter was the first of four dispatched aircraft to arrive at the scene, he said.
It arrived at 9:37 a.m., 17 minutes after picking up the call, said Sonoma County Sheriff's Sgt. Eric Thomson, who was aboard the helicopter.
The dead man and a survivor were lifted out of the water using a 100-foot line while the third diver swam across the channel to safety, he said.
The divers were about 25 feet offshore next to some rocks when rescuers arrived, Suddith said.
He said the two survivors were floating in the water, keeping their friend against the rocks. The water was rough and the weather windy, Suddith said.
``You wouldn't catch locals out there, especially in the weather today,'' he said Monday. The area south of the lighthouse is usually rough.
Most of the people who have drowned off the coast have been from out of the area. They are often unfamiliar with the coast's rough waters or perhaps unwilling to drop their plans when the weather is bad, Suddith said.
``They drive up three or four hours. They get here and they're not really considering whether the ocean is diveable,'' he said.
The only local person -- and the first -- to drown this year was Hak Song Kim, 55, of Fort Bragg on April 7. Broin said it appears he was washed off the rocks while fishing near Mendocino.
Salina Sau Yee Cheung, 60, of Gilroy was rock picking abalone when she died April 18. Her death was attributed to a heart-related medical emergency, Broin said.
On the same day, Arthur Boyd, 70, of Atascadero drowned near Caspar while rock picking abalone. A heart condition also contributed to that drowning, Broin said.
The next day, Mang Jay Yang, 36, of Suisun drowned while abalone picking near the Point Arena lighthouse, within a quarter-mile of the most recent death.
On April 22, Craig Richards Sangalli, 51, of Oakland died of a heart-related problem believed to have been brought on by the cold, rough water.
``Some turned out to be natural causes, but they were attributed to being in the ocean,'' Broin said.
In Sonoma County, a 50-year-old Petaluma man drowned late last month while scuba diving near Stillwater Cove Regional Park.
Robert Fletcher died in March after falling off a marina dock into Bodega Bay.
MAP: 1 by Press Democrat: Drowning near Point Arena
Keywords: DROWNING FISHING INITIAL DEATH
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