Diver who died at The Sea Ranch identified

A diver who died on a northern Sonoma County beach Wednesday afternoon was a Grass Valley man named John Curtis, the county coroner’s office said.

Curtis, 54, was diving with a friend off The Sea Ranch when he ran into trouble, though it remained unclear whether he drowned or suffered a medical emergency, authorities said.

Emergency help was summoned by a passer-by who heard the friend calling for help from Galleons Reach beach, the county Sheriff’s Office said. Curtis was pronounced dead at the scene.

Further details of the incident were not available, but an autopsy was planned to determine his cause of death, authorities said.

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com.