Abalone diver fatality - Mendocino County California

[DandyDon]

Abalone diver dies off Mendocino coast | The Press Democrat

Efforts to give a struggling abalone diver CPR turned into an ocean rescue and then a body recovery when the man was swept out to sea during his family’s efforts to aid him, according to a Mendocino fire official Monday.
The man was identified as Auburn resident Michael Sean Lipsmeyer, 46.
Family members were attempting CPR on Lipsmeyer late Saturday morning on rocks north of the town of Mendocino when a wave pulled him into the ocean.
Lipsmeyer’s body was recovered in the ocean Saturday afternoon by Mendocino volunteer firefighters on jet skies, Mendocino Fire Chief Ed O’Brien said.
The man had been diving with family for awhile Saturday when the water became rough and he began to have difficulty, possibly a medical problem, and stopped breathing, Mendocino County sheriff’s Sgt. Scott Poma said.
Firefighters initially were called at 12:05 p.m. to help with CPR in progress for a diver in distress south of Russian Gulch State Park.
Mendocino’s volunteer firefighting staff had just started their annual hamburger fundraiser and had a crowd of visitors at the fire house when they got the call, O’Brien said.
A crew headed off with medical gear and a stretcher to the site given but then found they couldn’t get to the victim as the effort was underway at the bottom of a cliff. The call, however, then changed to a sea rescue when a caller alerted dispatchers the diver had been swept away by a wave, O’Brien said.
Firefighters back at the station donned wet suits and grabbed gear that had been on display at the fundraiser and headed for their personal water craft.
They found the man’s body in the water and pulled him onto a jet ski.
Because of the high waves and rough seas, firefighters weren’t sure they could make the two-mile run back to the harbor and instead rode into nearby Russian Gulch beach, O’Brien said. Additional firefighters were called and the man was carried from there.
An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday.
This is at least the fourth abalone-related death since June in Mendocino County, according to officials.

 

[Akimbo]

The seas were especially sloppy here yesterday. It was like the agitation cycle on a washing machine with swell coming from two directions.

 

[bergersau]

I don't want to derail this thread, but for those unaware of California Abalone diving..
I recently read a surprisingly good article ( For mainstream press ) in the New York Times on what it's like, it discusses the conditions commonly encountered and common practices.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/27/s...ace-risks-and-poachers-face-the-law.html?_r=0

 

[Laurie S.]

We're headed up there right after the DEMA show. Usually we would be there now. Hoping for better conditions. I've only been doing it for two seasons, my husband for more than 40 years.