On Tuesday, April 09, 2019, at approximately 1:03 PM, multiple first responders including the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, Marin County Fire Department, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Helicopter Henry-1, and the California Highway Patrol Helicopter H-30 responded to a reported water rescue incident involving multiple persons stranded near Clam Island Bar in Tomales Bay.   Five persons were reported to be in distress while clamming in the bay, due to adverse weather and water conditions, when attempting to return to the shoreline in their watercraft.   Two subjects attempted to swim from the island to the shoreline in the frigid and rough waters.  The Henry-1 crew arrived on the scene and located a subject in the water struggling to get to shore and three others already on land.  They completed a rescue of the lone swimmer; bringing him to shore, and were made aware another subject had been swimming to shore, but they had become separated. The Henry-1 crew then searched the area and located a lifeless subject in the water, midway between the island and shoreline; the crew performed a rescue of the subject and transported him to the shoreline where he was received by the California Highway Patrol Helicopter H-30 flight Officer-Paramedics.  The CHP Officer-Paramedics immediately provided aggressive advanced life support resuscitative medical aid to the subject.  Despite their efforts, the subject failed to respond to the treatment provided, and his death was pronounced on the scene. 

The decedent has been positively identified as:

Hai Li ZHOU, a 29-year-old male from Sacramento, CA.

A forensic post mortem examination and toxicology testing have been scheduled for Thursday, April 11, 2019.  The cause and manner of death will be pending the conclusion of the investigation being completed by the Marin County Sheriff’s Office - Patrol Division and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office - Coroner Division.  No further information will be released by the Coroner Division at this time, as this is an active and ongoing investigation.  Any further questions regarding the incident should be directed to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office – Patrol Division.

The Marin County Sheriff’s Office and personnel of the Coroner Division offers our best wishes and condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Zhou.

CONTACT

Roger G. Fielding

Chief Deputy Coroner

415-473-6043