NORTH COAST, Calif. — Officials in Mendocino County are investigating a Tuesday water rescue that ended in a Mendocino man’s death.
The victim has been identified as 65-year-old Douglas Craig Shapiro, according to a report from Sgt. Ze Lima.
Just after 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a possible water rescue in the area of Portuguese Beach in Mendocino.
A citizen in the area of Main Street in Mendocino called emergency services to report a subject along the coastline who may have fallen from the cliffs above. The sheriff’s office said the reporting party informed emergency responders the subject on the beach below was not moving and called to request assistance.
Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Deputies arrived to assist, along with Adventist Health Mendocino Coast Ambulance Paramedics.
Lima said Shapiro was located on the beach below the steep cliff south of Kasten Street. The Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department water-rescue team deployed a pair of their jet-skis from the Big River Boat Launch and quickly arrived in the area where Shapiro was located and packaged for transport.
Shapiro was transported via jet-ski from the beach to the north boat launch at Big River Beach in Mendocino, Lima said.
An off-duty emergency room physician happened to be near the boat launch and immediately conducted an assessment of Shapiro upon arrival at Big River Beach. The physician pronounced Shapiro deceased just after 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Lima said.
Lima said deputies observed injuries on Shapiro’s body consistent with a great fall and began a coroner's investigation into Shapiro's death.
Deputies determined foul play was not suspected and Shapiro's cause and manner of death will be later determined by a forensic pathologist.
It can take multiple months to receive all associated reports to finalize the coroner's investigation and determine the official manner and cause of death.
Shapiro's next of kin was contacted and notified of his death.
Anyone with information regarding this coroner’s investigation is requested to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center at 707-463-4086.
Mendocino County officials investigate death of man rescued from the ocean
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