A Texas man died Tuesday on an abalone diving expedition in Tomales Bay, a federal park spokesman said.
The man was identified as Gerald McGuire, 67, of El Paso. The Marin County coroners division is investigating the cause of death.
McGuire was one of five people in the diving party, said John DellOsso, a spokesman for the Point Reyes National Seashore. The group launched a boat from the east side of Tomales Bay between 8 and 8:30 a.m., and when they approached their destination on the west shore, the divers got out of the boat and started swimming toward the intended dive site.
One of the swimmers looked back and saw that McGuire was floating listlessly in the water, DellOsso said. The divers dragged him into shore, called 911 and began resuscitation efforts.
Then one of the divers swam back to bring the boat into shore. The divers loaded McGuire into the boat and started heading back across the bay to the Lawsons Landing area.
A county fire crew on a boat intercepted them on the bay and took McGuire aboard the fire boat to continue resuscitation attempts.
McGuire was pronounced dead after the fire crew brought him on shore.
DellOsso said it appears McGuire fell unconscious before he started diving for abalone, but the circumstances remain under investigation.
The death was the latest boating fatality in a series along the Marin coast in recent months, including a Tomales Bay kayaker who drowned in March and four members of a fishing party whose boat capsized near Tomales Point in April.
On May 24, a scuba diver died in Salt Point State Park on the Sonoma County coast.
