Missing Ab Diver found. ( Not Alive )

Damn! .... A reminder for newbie divers! Be careful out there, and DONT dive alone! Body found at coast matches description of missing diver.

By BRETT WILKISON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT


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State parks lifeguards have recovered the body of a male abalone diver off the Sonoma coast near where a Santa Cruz man went missing and presumably drowned last month.


Related Links:Missing diver ID'd as Santa Cruz man Search for body of abalone picker resumes No sign of missing abalone picker Abalone picker swept out to sea off Sonoma coast The body was found around 7 a.m. Sunday morning by another abalone diver.

It was in about 10 feet of water under a rocky ledge 25 yards offshore of the Reef Campground area south of Fort Ross.

The deceased diver wore a black wetsuit, a 35-pound weight belt and no fins.

The outfit is similar to the description given of Brett Shoji Uchiyama, 43, of Santa Cruz, an abalone picker who disappeared in the rough waters off Reef Campground April 29, said Jeremy Stinson, a supervising ranger with the California State Parks Department.

Stinson said he couldn’t comment on whether the body matched any other description given of Uchiyama.

Lifeguards, divers and a Sonoma County sheriff’s helicopter have been looking for the man since he went missing.

Officials said he was last seen by his daughter walking on a rock reef in the area during a low tide looking for abalone.

The body recovered Sunday also had a mesh bag attached to the weight belt with one abalone inside, Stinson said.

The body had suffered some decomposition but no injuries were visible, he said.

Improved underwater visibility of at least 30 feet — the best since abalone season began April 1 — helped in the discovery of the body Sunday, Stinson said.

Sonoma County coroner’s officials took possession of the body before noon Sunday.

Deputy John Benyack said the sheriff’s office would likely not identify the man until Monday.

You can reach Staff Writer Brett Wilkison at 521-5295 or [email protected].
one!

Spooky man!

Is it typical for you AB guys not to wear fins when looking for Abs?

Only when there shore picking!

wow, so maybe he got slammed on the rocks or something huh?

It's very sad that his daughter was on the beach to witness it.

The deceased diver wore a black wetsuit, a 35-pound weight belt and no fins.

From what I've learned, the more hardcore pickers wear a weightbelt and hunting abs for them is more akin to wading than just walking around the tidepools. Since the depths are generally only waist to chest deep they need a heavier weightbelt than someone who dives (wetsuit compression at depth = less bouyancy=less lead needed).  The heavier belt also aids them in staying put when tidal wash or waves push through their area. 

They key detail is the weightbelt.  I know its easy to jump into freediving and you don't get the benefit of safety speaches reppeatedly hammered into you like they do in SCUBA but you gotta learn it too.  Its possible this story could have ended differently.

 My prayers go out to the family. I am learning by someone else's misfortune and feel bad about that but will always show my respect to the ocean and those that taught unforgettable lessons.
  Randall