4th victim of Bodega Bay boat accident died pursuing dream (w/video)

A fourth person who died Saturday after a wave capsized a fishing boat, tossing all on board into the ocean off Bodega Head, was identified Thursday as a newcomer to Bodega Bay who had been fulfilling a long-held goal of becoming a fisherman.

Christine Puetz, 56, recently moved from Windsor to Bodega Bay to pursue commercial fishing, a second career after retiring from the city of Santa Rosa Recreation and Parks Department, said close friend and fellow fisherman Tina Moreda, of Bodega Bay.

“She loved the ocean, fishing and the camaraderie of other fishermen,” Moreda said. “Wherever she was, people were drawn to her. She had a huge heart, was generous and compassionate. I will miss her very much.”

Puetz was among five people who set out Saturday morning on the first day of the recreational crab fishing season, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said.

A wave broadsided the 32-foot fiberglass boat named The Frog just before 10 a.m. on its return trip to port, flipping the boat and tossing all five people into the water, sheriff’s officials said.

The lone survivor, Philip Sanchez, 66, of Bodega Bay, told sheriff’s officials he was able to swim to an outcropping called Bodega Rock and was rescued by a helicopter.

Authorities pulled Puetz and three others from the water, including well-known locals Jessie Daniel Langley, 79, and Samuel Garcia, 86, both of Bodega Bay, and David Costa, 60, of Ripon, in San Joaquin County. They could not be revived.

Puetz, pronounced “Pitz,” was born and raised in Washington, just outside of Seattle, friends said. She had always been a lover of the outdoors and had moved to California about three decades ago, first to Silicon Valley.

“In San Jose, it was total culture shock,” Moreda said. “She hated it. She moved out to the (Russian) River and fell in love and never left.”

That was about 28 years ago, Moreda said.

Puetz became active in the Women’s Weekend event in the Russian River area in the early 1980s and continued volunteering for the event, making friends with residents and merchants.

She retired from Santa Rosa Parks Department in 2008, after working at Juilliard Park and other city parks for 25 years.

In retirement, she spent time with her partner Cho Benitez, enjoying life on the Windsor town green, where they lived, and visiting Guerneville most days to enjoy the river and redwoods and her many friends there, friends said.

Several months ago, Puetz moved to Bodega Bay.

“She had fished all of her life as a hobby, but was just recently pursuing her dream of becoming a commercial fisherman,” said another friend, local writer Joanne Whitfield.

Puetz is survived by her 25-year partner, Benitez. Though the pair separated, they remained dear friends, Whitfield said.

Puetz’s father, who is in his 90s, siblings and other relatives live in the Seattle-area; a sister died about a month ago.

Last year, Puetz began her second career on the water during salmon season, serving as a deckhand on Moreda’s boat with Tina and her father.

Moreda said Puetz had grown up fishing in lakes and streams, but hadn’t done much ocean fishing. Puetz caught a 30-pound salmon during her first outing with the Moredas.

“She was so excited,” Moreda said.

“My father and I so looked forward to every day with Christine on our boat, the joy she brought us, the excitement of all the beautiful things we saw and experienced on the water, and how excited she got when we caught a salmon,” she said.

“I’m so lucky to have had her in my life.”

A memorial is being planned for this weekend in Guerneville, but details were pending.

You can reach Lori A. Carter at 762-7297 or ?lori.carter@press?democrat.com. On ?Twitter @loriacarter. ?You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On ?Twitter @jjpressdem.