Drowning victim was SR market director

Friday, September 9, 2005

A Santa Rosa man who drowned off the Sonoma Coast Thursday was a popular vendor at the Santa Rosa Downtown Market and a member of the market’s board of directors.

Mark Messmer, 31, owned and operated the Golden Kettle Corn stand.

"What a shock," said Tracey Pugh, the market’s director.

Messmer started out selling hammocks at the market, then switched to the kettle corn enterprise. He had been a board member for about three years and was a vocal advocate for vendors, she said.

He died in a diving accident near Russian Gulch, north of Jenner, authorities said. He was apparently free diving from his kayak Thursday afternoon when he failed to resurface.

A friend who was with him pulled Messmer from the water after calling for help, but attempts by lifeguards to resuscitate him failed.

--Jeremy Hay