Man found dead at Goat Rock Beach appeared to have gunshot wound

A man found dead in the water Wednesday off Goat Rock Beach appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound, but authorities don’t know yet whether it was self-inflicted or the product of foul play.

Sonoma County Sheriff’s detectives were at the scene of the incident Wednesday afternoon investigating the sequence of events that resulted in the man’s death, sheriff’s Sgt. Spencer Crum said.

Authorities have a presumptive identification of the man but were not releasing it, pending completion of the investigation and notification of his next of kin, Crum said.

The Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the cause of death and has not ruled out foul play, said sheriff’s Lt. Ed Hoener.

“We don’t have a definitive reason as to why he was in the surf,” Hoener said. “Until we can get all the pieces and put them back together, we’re going to continue to investigate.”

The Coroner’s Office has yet to complete the autopsy, Hoener said.

Beach visitors first spotted the man and called authorities around 1:30 p.m., Crum and Supervising State Park Ranger Damien Jones said.

Deputies, Cal Fire and state park personnel found him in the surf zone just north of the south Goat Rock Beach parking lot, Jones said.

Staff Writer Angela Hart contributed to this report. You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MaryCallahanB.