One more abalone diver dead - California

[DandyDon]

Updated story gives the diver's name: Mendocino County coroner

Mendocino County’s coroner’s office Tuesday released the name of the San Francisco man who died Sunday while abalone diving off of a Gualala beach. Victor Segundo De Leon, 56, apparently suffered some kind of medical emergency as he dove with a friend off of Cooks Beach, sheriff’s Capt. Greg Van Patten said.
The friend found De Leon floating face down and swam over to him, finding him alive but not responsive, Van Patten said.
The friend yelled for help and pulled the man to the beach, about a quarter-mile effort, according to South Coast fire Chief Greg Warner.
During the swim, De Leon’s body went lifeless and he was given CPR on the beach, but couldn’t be revived, Van Patten said.

Original story: Abalone diver dies off Mendocino Coast | The Press Democrat

A San Francisco man died Sunday while diving for abalone off the southern Mendocino Coast, authorities said.
The man, 56, was swimming out into the ocean to dive with a companion when he began struggling, said Greg Warner, South Coast Volunteer Fire Protection District chief.
The companion swam to his friend, yelled for help and began pulling the man toward the shore of Cook’s Beach, about a quarter-mile away, Warner said. Emergency responders were called to the scene at about 12:50 p.m., according to CalFire.
Warner said his department does not have a rescue boat and that neither Sonoma County nor Cal Fire helicopters were available Sunday.
“We just didn’t have any aircraft,” he said.
Coast Guard officials in Fort Bragg said they were called to respond, but then called off because the divers were already out of the water.
It took about half an hour for the victim’s partner to swim him to shore, where emergency responders determined he had died, Warner said.
The victim and his partner had been diving the day before and reportedly had no problems, Warner said.
The ocean was relatively calm Sunday, but the victim was overweight and may not have been sufficiently fit for the effort of swimming and diving for abalone, Warner said. The man had only a 1-gallon container that he was using as a flotation device, insufficient to keep him afloat, he said.
Most divers use boogie boards, surfboards or something similar to help them stay afloat, Warner said. There were eight to 10 people diving for abalone from the same beach on Sunday, he said.

Sheriff’s officials said they would not release the diver’s identity until his family is notified.

The last diving fatality off the Mendocino Coast this year happened Aug. 21, when a Pleasanton man died while diving for abalone near the town of Mendocino.

Sunday’s victim is at least the eighth person to die while abalone hunting off the North Coast this year.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Very sad.
it's just a reminder that ab diving off Northern California is no joke.
You need to be in shape and never dive beyond your limitations. Pick your days and stay alive.
8 deaths in one year is a lot, one is too many...and in such a small geographical location.
Please be carefull out there.

 

[Bob DBF]

The ocean was relatively calm Sunday, but the victim was overweight and may not have been sufficiently fit for the effort of swimming and diving for abalone, Warner said. The man had only a 1-gallon container that he was using as a flotation device, insufficient to keep him afloat, he said

And another reminder for proper weighting. When I Ab dive I weight to be neutral around 25' or so. This gives plenty of buoyancy to relax at the surface without a float. Just a little overweight means you continually work to stay afloat, I believe this is a contributing factor to heart attacks when Ab diving.

Erik covered the rest of my thoughts already.


Bob