Watch CBS News

Body Of Abalone Diver From Vallejo Found Along Northern California Coast

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A diver was found dead after searching for abalone off the coast of Northern California, becoming at least the ninth person to perish this year while seeking the delicacy.

The body of Eric Stine, 58, was discovered Sunday in the surf in Manchester State Beach, 140 miles north of San Francisco, authorities said.

A diving friend had reported Stine, of Vallejo, California, went missing Saturday.

Stine becomes at least the ninth person to die in Northern California while diving for the delicacy this season, which started April 1 and ends Monday. Six divers have died in coastal Mendocino County alone.

The section of Northern California from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border is the only place in the country where recreational divers can hunt for abalone, said Ian Taniguchi, a senior environmental scientist for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

About 30,000 people register each year for a license, including divers from as far away as New Jersey and Texas. The long-distance traveling may encourage divers to swim when they're not fit enough or the weather too foul.

"People who come from afar, they've spent a lot of money to get here so they go into the ocean when they shouldn't and it overpowers them," said Shannon Barney, Mendocino's chief deputy coroner.

Fans of the hard-to-find mollusks say the seafood is delicious and well worth the trouble.

But Chris Constantine, who publishes the Marin County-based California Diver Magazine, said harvesting abalone can be particularly demanding.

Divers can't use scuba-diving tanks or other gear. Because the water ranges between 48 and 52 degrees year-round, a wetsuit, hood, boots and gloves are needed to keep warm. Divers must wear a 20- to 30-pound weight belt to offset the buoyant neoprene suits, Constantine said.

Drowning isn't the only way to die out there. Sometimes divers suffer heart attacks.

Earlier last week, a 56-year-old San Francisco man also died while diving for abalone off the Mendocino coast. The cause of death is pending in both cases.

"We typically have deaths every year, but I would say this year is sort of on the high side," said Taniguchi of the fish and wildlife agency.

Mendocino County is also where three men at the start of the season in April found themselves trapped in rough waves. The cause of death was drowning.

Other divers perished in the nearby counties of Sonoma and Marin.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.