Bay Area man who died at Point Reyes beach identified

An Oakland man died Sunday after drowning at North Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore, authorities said.

Adi Handach, 30, was reported floating about 100 feet offshore around 2:41 p.m., according to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.

Witnesses said currents were sweeping him farther from shore. A friend attempted to rescue him, and by the time Marin County Fire Department crews arrived, he had been brought back to the beach, according to a department spokesperson.

Responders attempted lifesaving measures before a California Highway Patrol helicopter transported Handach to a Sonoma County hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office identified him on Tuesday. The cause of death remains under investigation.

The waters off Point Reyes were about 57 degrees on Sunday, according to the Point Reyes Light, which first reported the news. At that temperature, a person can lose muscle function within 10 to 40 minutes, depending on body size, clothing and whether a life jacket is worn, the news outlet said, citing the U.S. Coast Guard. The newspaper also reported that Handach was wearing only his underwear.

The National Park Service cautions visitors not to swim or surf at North Beach, where rip currents, undertow and sneaker waves are common. The beach has been the site of previous drownings, including incidents in 2013 and 2014.

Handach was an electrical engineer who graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in 2017, according to his employer, Keith McMillen Instruments.

This article originally published at Bay Area man who died at Point Reyes beach identified.