Texas man dies abalone diving in Tomales Bay

A Texas man on Tuesday became the sixth fatality this year tied to abalone hunting off the Northern California coast.

Gerald McGuire, 67, of El Paso, was swimming toward a dive spot in Tomales Bay when another member of the diving party noticed him floating in the water, said John Dell’Osso, a spokesman for the Point Reyes National Seashore.

The divers called 911 after dragging McGuire to shore and starting resuscitation efforts. Marin County firefighters took over but efforts to revive McGuire were unsuccessful, according to Dell’Osso.

Dell’Osso said the circumstances remain under investigation but it appears McGuire fell unconscious before he started diving for abalone.

Five other men have died so far this abalone season, including three men who drowned on April 12 after getting into rough water off Caspar Cove near Fort Bragg.

You can reach Staff Writer Derek Moore at 521-5336 or derek.moore@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @deadlinederek.