Abalone diver fatality - California

[DandyDon]

Abalone diver who died on coast identified - Ukiah Daily Journal

Ukiah Daily Journal The Mendocino County Sheriff-Coroner's Office identified an abalone diver who died last week at the Mendocino Headlands as Patrick Reilley, 28, of Arcata.
Reilley was diving near the Big River Headlands State Park when his sister, who was on land nearby, called authorities at about 3 p.m. Aug. 30 to report that she "didn't see her brother in the water anymore," according to MCSO spokesman Capt. Kurt Smallcomb.
Authorities responded and Reilley was pronounced dead.
The cause of his death wasn't released pending a toxicology report, according to Smallcomb.

 

[Bob DBF]

A slight addition to your origional post, the interesting fact was that he was not tangeled in kelp, or anything else. As is usually the case there is no follow up information since.

Ab diver drowns
By TERESA SHUMAKER/ The Mendocino Beacon
Updated: 09/06/2012 08:07:49 AM PDT

Mendocino volunteer firefighters transport Patrick Reilley back to shore on the Jet Ski. Teresa Shumaker photo.

Abalone diver Patrick Reilley, 28, drowned in Mendocino on Friday, Aug. 31. He was diving at Sea Arch Cove, on the west end of the Mendocino Headlands shoreline.

The diver's sister, Kaitlin, alerted authorities just after 3 p.m. She said she hadn't seen her brother come up for a while and was concerned.

Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department launched a water rescue team and had eyes on the cliffs looking for his gear and any signs of the diver.

According to Fire Chief Ed O'Brien, MVFD rescue divers located Reilley in about 18-feet; the cause of his distress is unknown. When the rescuers found Reilley, he wasn't tangled in anything and still had his weight belt on.

O'Brien said Sea Arch is not a common abalone diving spot, but is a fairly protected cove and the ocean was fairly calm that day.

"Something must have happened pretty quick," said O'Brien.

He said the cause of a diver drowning is typically due to becoming tangled, but in this case there were no signs of that happening.

"It was a sad thing," O'Brien concluded.

An autopsy report is awaiting results from the Sheriff's Office.

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Tuesday, September 4, 2012 at 10:40 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, September 4, 2012 at 10:40 a.m.

The abalone diver who died Friday near the town of Mendocino has been identified as Patrick D. Reilley, 28, of Southern California.

An autopsy was expected to be completed Tuesday to determine precisely how Reilley died, including whether he drowned, a Mendocino County coroner's spokeswoman said. Results were not immediately available.

Reilley's sister had been waiting on shore for him and reported him missing at 2:50 p.m. Friday. He was found in about 18 feet of water near the Sea Arch rock formation off of Mendocino Headlands State Park. Reilley still was wearing his weight belt and all his diving gear.

He was a resident of Oak View, a community southeast of Santa Barbara.

Bob
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Ab dive that area once a year.

 

[decompression]

I have little knowledge of the abalone divers but I see several posts of fatalities, I'm assume a lot of different contributing factors but is "shallow water blackout" common?

 

[Peter_C]

In this case there are many things that could have caused this young man to perish. Shallow water blackout, abalone might have sucked down on his hand and pinned him, kelp could have caught him on the way up, then when he sank he became freed, or he may have just run out of breath so to speak. We will never know, but most likely it is a drowning non the less (At least it is one of least painful ways to die, and happens quickly). Not ditching his weight belt might have been his fatal mistake, or he may never have had a chance to do so. Most every death in freediving, they are found with their weight belts still on.

My condolences to the family and friends.

I feel for his sister, since she probably keeps asking "What if?", but the reality is there was nothing she could have done.

 

[decompression]

Just to many fatalities for Abalone and golf ball divers.......I'll stick to caves.

 

[Bob DBF]

Just to many fatalities for Abalone and golf ball divers.......I'll stick to caves.

If cave divers were way out of shape, only did it occationally, and did not thumb a dive regardless of conditions, cave diving wouldn't be so safe either.



Bob
------------------------------------
Ab Diver. Crazy, not stupid.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

The guy who died was a best friend of the son of the guy who's yacht I happen to be working on at the moment.
Josh (my customers son) had to go down to LA for the funeral because that's where the kid's family lives.

He was found in 18 feet of water with his weightbelt still on and not around any kelp. He was an avid surfer and a total water person.
Josh used to dive with him for abs up in Petrolia all the time.

Who knows what happened?
It's tragic.