Santa Rosa man who died while abalone diving off Sonoma Coast ID’d

A man who died Saturday morning while abalone diving off the Sonoma Coast has been identified as George McBeth, 56, of Santa Rosa, the sixth person to die this year while diving for the prized delicacy.

McBeth had gone into the ocean with a friend at the Timber Cove boat landing at about 7:30 a.m., Sonoma County sheriff’s officials said.

They were about 125 yards out when McBeth began to feel ill, according to a sheriff’s report. The two dropped their weight belts and the companion had McBeth hang on to an inner tube while he swam them to shore, shouting for help.

On shore, an off-duty paramedic who was at the beach began CPR and arriving Timber Cove volunteer firefighters also helped with CPR and other life-saving efforts, said Erich Lynn, Timber Cove assistant fire chief.

The cove is a popular spot for abalone diving and kayak fishing as it is fairly protected. Saturday’s weather was good and the water was calm. There were several people on the beach at the time, Lynn said. The man was pronounced dead at 9:18 a.m.

McBeth’s death is the latest in a string of ocean-related fatalities off the Northern California coast in 2015.

A Texas man died earlier in June while diving for abalone in Tomales Bay. Four men have died off of the Mendocino coast, including three who died together in April, soon after this year’s abalone season began.

There were five other coastal deaths in the region in the last several weeks, including four Sonoma County residents in a fishing boat accident and a Rohnert Park man who died, possibly of a medical emergency, while scuba diving.

Staff Writer Julie Johnson contributed to this report. You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com or Twitter@rossmannreport.