Unidentified Abalone Diver

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UWPhotoKeith

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Location
NorCal - Santa Rosa
# of dives
500 - 999
Just came across this story in the Press Democrat about an unidentified abalone diver found off coast from Salt Point State Park in Sonoma County. The coroner is having difficulty ID'ing the diver and maybe someone on the list knows of a solo diver that maybe they have not heard from in a week or so?

From The Press Democrat:

"The body of a man in a wetsuit found late last week floating off of Salt Point State Park remained unidentified Wednesday morning. Sonoma County coroner’s investigators this week were seeking help from an odontologist – a forensic dentist – to help with possible identification through the man’s teeth and an examination of dental records, sheriff’s Sgt. Cecile Focha said...."
 
Original story: Man's body found floating off Sonoma Coast | The Press Democrat

Updated: Diver found off Sonoma Coast remains unidentified | The Press Democrat
The body of a man in a wetsuit found late last week floating off of Salt Point State Park remained unidentified Wednesday morning.
Sonoma County coroner’s investigators this week were seeking help from an odontologist – a forensic dentist – to help with possible identification through the man’s teeth and an examination of dental records, sheriff’s Sgt. Cecile Focha said.
The man was found Friday afternoon floating in the ocean about one mile offshore the state park, according to the Coast Guard. Salt Point is along the northern Sonoma coastline.
The man, who likely was an abalone diver, may have died days or even weeks prior. He was initially described as being badly disfigured from the time in the water.
A crew on a commercial fishing boat found the body at about noon Friday and contacted authorities.
At the Coroner’s Office, fingerprints were obtained but they didn’t result in a positive match and he hasn’t been identified, Focha said
 
and yet another sad story! :0(
 
Sad story indeed. Hopefully they will ID the body and bring a family some peace...
 
One would hope there aren't so many divers missing that they are unable to figure out who is by process of elimination. :(
 
This puzzles me.
I didn't hear anything locally about anybody missing that might have gone diving. Abalone season closed at the end of November so if he was an ab diver he's been out there a while. I would think there would've been a car parked on the road, or in the case of Salt Point, in the parking lot that would have at least raised concern with officials.
God I hope it's nobody I know. Never the less, my heart goes out to the individual and his family.
 
Strange that just a wet suit was mentioned and no other gear. What would lead them to think he was an abalone diver if he could have died "days" ago? Surely death must have been weeks ago if he indeed was as abalone diver as we are almost mid Dec. They didn't mention diving gear just a wet suit why not a surfer? That would make more sense to me. Is the surfing any good along that part of the coast?
 
Strange that just a wet suit was mentioned and no other gear. What would lead them to think he was an abalone diver if he could have died "days" ago? Surely death must have been weeks ago if he indeed was as abalone diver as we are almost mid Dec. They didn't mention diving gear just a wet suit why not a surfer? That would make more sense to me. Is the surfing any good along that part of the coast?

Surfers don't wear weights, mask, fins,and knife (not mentioned but...) and wear a different types and thickness wetsuit.

My first thought is that they may not have enough information yet to match the diver with a missing person out of area or out of state.

My second:
Poacher?
It might be enough reason for others around him to keep quiet.



Bob
---------------------------------------------------------
"the future is uncertain and the end is always near"
Jim Morrison
 
There is no surfing up in that area of the coast, the closest surfing would be about 25 miles south at the larger sand beaches. Salt Point and surrounding coastline is very rocky. However it is not impossible that the individual might be a surfer since there are known currents to travel south to north. A few years ago a drowned ab diver was carried many miles north before he was found.
 
There is no surfing up in that area of the coast, the closest surfing would be about 25 miles south at the larger sand beaches. Salt Point and surrounding coastline is very rocky. However it is not impossible that the individual might be a surfer since there are known currents to travel south to north. A few years ago a drowned ab diver was carried many miles north before he was found.

We see crazy surfers around here surfing off a rocky coast line quite often. I cringe every time I see them. Bob, I didn't want to mention the poacher possibility but that did come to mind of course at this stage why anybody wouldn't come forward to ID is a question; he's beyond charges. No mention was made of what kind of wet suit just a wet suit. A surfer might have an ankle leash on no mention of that either. The only other thing would be a creative body dump. Put a wet suit on the body a short boat ride off shore and presto an "accident", unlikely though that's a lot of trouble.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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