Abalone Diving
Northern California Diver Deaths
This page chronologically listsabalone diver deaths. Month, the dive area, sex, age and residence are listed along with links to media reports detailing what happened. Worth noting is that this list is restricted to abalone diving-related deaths. It is provided as a sober demonstration that dangers associated with this sport are quite real.
2007
| 2007 has been a dismal year on the north coast; at the time of this writing, seven of the nine people killed off the Sonoma and Mendocino coast this season have been abalone divers. I've been dreading adding this year's toll so, in answer to some of you contacting me about that, there's your answer. And here are the details,year-to-date. |
| NOTE - the "mix-up" in counts seen in the headlines is our local paper's way of confusing abalone diver deaths with other deaths that have occurred off the north coast. So far, by mid-October, seven abalone divers/shorepickers have died this year along with 3 deaths on the water but not related to abalone. |
| October | Westport, Mendocino County | Male, Bay Area (unconfirmed) | Abalone diver found dead |
| June | Jack Peters Beach, Mendocino County | Male, 51, from San Francisco, CA | San Francisco
abalone diver sixth to die off Mendocino coast in '07 Drowned Abalone Diver Identified Abalone Diver's Death is 9th of Year off North Coast |
| May | Point Arena Lighthouse, Mendocino County | Male, 59, from San Jose, CA | Drowned
Abalone Diver Identified Diver's Death 8th this Year Off North Coast |
| April | Fort Bragg, Mendocino County | Male, 51, from Oakland, CA | 4th Abalone
Hunter in 5 days Dies |
| April | Point Arena Lighthouse, Mendocino County | Male, 36, from Suisun, CA | Third Diver
Drowns Off Mendocino Coast |
| April | Point Arena Lighthouse, Mendocino County | Female, 60, from Gilroy, CA | 2 Die Hunting
Abalone |
| April | Caspar, Mendocino County | Male, 70, from Atascadero, CA | 'Angry' Sea
in Mendocino Cove took Season's First Victim 2 Die Hunting Abalone |
2006
| 2006 looks like it was a pretty gentle year compared with what we're seeing in 2007. However, anyone who does a news search on the 2006 abalone season will quickly see that there were a number of close calls that never made it into this list. Thankfully. |
| April | Mendocino Headlands, Mendocino County | Male, 65, from Camp Connell, CA | Diver Dies |
2005
| September | Russian Gulch, Sonoma County | Male, 31, from Santa Rosa, CA | SR man dies
while diving at coast Drowning victim was SR market director |
| June | Timber Cove, Sonoma County | Male, 59, from La Habra, CA | Abalone Diver
Dies Offshore Body of Diver Identified |
| June | Van Damme, Mendocino County | Male, 57, from San Jose, CA | Missing Divers Body Recovered |
2004
| November | Van Damme, Mendocino County | Male, 56, from San Francisco, CA | Body of Diver Found 200 Miles
Away Officials continue search for diver Diver missing, feared dead |
| September | Salt Point, Sonoma County | Male, 51, from Sebastopol, CA | Officials Unsure How Sebastopol Abalone Diver Drowned During Weekend Trip with Friends |
| August | MacKerricher, Mendocino County | Male, 50, from Auburn, CA | Divers Remains
Found Great White takes Diver Near Westport Shark Victim's Body found off Mendocino County Coast |
| May | MacKerricher , Mendocino County | Male, 33, from Fort Bragg,
CA Male, 77, from Fort Bragg, CA |
Divers Drown off Mendocino Coast |
2003
| May | Fort Ross, Sonoma County | Male, 42, from Berkeley, CA | Officials Release ID of Drowning Victim |
| April | Elk, Mendocino County | Male, , from Sacramento, CA | Drowned Diver was Sacramento Man |
2002
2001
|
October |
Buckhorn Cove, Mendocino County | Male, 50, from French Gulch, CA | Man Dies While Diving for Abalone |
|
May |
Fort Ross, Sonoma County | Male, 49, from Sunnyvale, CA | Diver Missing Near Fort Ross |
|
April |
Fort Ross, Sonoma County | Male, 35, from San Jose, CA | Abalone Diver Dies Off Fort Ross On Season Opeaner |
2000
|
September |
Gerstle Cove, Sonoma County | Male, 41, from Redwood City, CA | Diver Gets Tangled in Kelp, Drowns |
|
August |
Point Reyes, Marin County | Male, 70, from Vallejo, CA | Diver Dies Off Pt. Reyes |
|
May |
Jack Peters Creek, Mendocino County | Male, 60, from San Jose, CA | Mendocino Coast Body Find Identified |
1999
|
November |
Sea Ranch, Sonoma County | Male, 39, from Hayward, CA |
Abalone Diver Drowns In Waters Off Sea Ranch Brother: Diver died taking risk |
|
October |
Sea Ranch, Sonoma County | Male, 20, from Cupertino, CA |
Body of Missing Diver, 20, Found Snared in Kelp Bed Still no sign of diver off Sea Ranch |
1998
|
September |
Fort Ross, Sonoma County | Male, 43, from Cool, CA | Diver Falls Ill, Dies at Coast |
|
August |
Fort Ross, Sonoma County | Male, 29, from Santa Cruz, CA | Man Identified in Diving Death |
1997
|
November |
Russian Gulch, Mendocino County | Male, 32, from Plymouth, CA | Diving Victim Identified |
|
August |
Salt Point, Sonoma County | Male, 19, from Antioch, CA | Diver, 19, Drowns at Salt Point |
|
August |
Albion Cove, Mendocino County | Male, 28, from Willits, CA | Autopsy Awaited in Divers Death |
|
April |
Fort Ross, Sonoma County | Male, 31, from Santa Rosa, CA |
Police Investigate Death Of Santa Rosa Diver Officials Identify SR Drowning Victim SR Abalone Diver Drowns at Fort Ross |
1996
|
October |
Salt Point State Park, Sonoma County | Male, 49, from Sonoma, CA | Abalone Diver Missing on Coast |
|
September |
Fort Ross, Sonoma County | Male, 78, from Albany, CA | Diver's Body Found in Kelp |
|
August |
Little River Cemetery, Menodocino County | Male, 25, from Redding, CA | Redding Man Dies in Dive |
1995
|
September |
Van Damme, Mendocino County | Male, 46, from Santa Rosa, CA | Body of SR Man Found |
|
June |
Timber Cove, Sonoma County | Male, 35, from San Francisco, CA |
S.F. Man Dies While Diving for Abalone Diving Crews Recover SF Man's Body |
|
June |
Davenport, Santa Cruz County | Male, 47, from Ben Lomond, CA | Drowned Diver Identified |
|
April |
Stillwater Cove, Sonoma County | Male, 31, from Antioch, CA |
Man drowns diving for abalone Antioch Man Drowns While Abalone Diving Abalone Season Opens on Grim Note |
1994
|
September |
Point Arena, Mendocino County | Male, 37, from San Rafael, CA | Abalone Season Ends: One Diver Fatality Total |
1993
|
April |
Horseshoe Cove, Sonoma County | Male, 35, from San Francisco, CA | Abalone Diver Drowns in Surf |
Last Modified: October 18, 2007
