Bodega Bay Fire sends a strike team to San Diego County
Posted Monday Oct. 22, 2007 --------- Late Monday night Bodega Bay Fire engine 8880 left to battle wildfires in Southern California. A strike team composed of a Type 1 (structure fire) fire engine and four firefighters was dispatched to Riveside County to report to Fire Scene commanders. After driving all night the Bodega Bay strike team engine was redirected to the Witch fire near Ramona, San Diego County. The firefighters on the Bodega Bay Strike team are Captain MIke Elson, Firefighter Ben Black and another firefighter from Bodega Volunteer Fire Company and one volunteer from Sebastopol Fire.
Sonoma County sent numerous strike teams, 10 were assembled in Petaluma before heading south in a caravan early Tuesday morning. Additional resources are still being assembled from around the state and surrounding states.
Fast moving Valley Ford fire
Photos and story by citizen journalist Jerry Dodrill
Monday afternoon about 3:30 a grass fire was reported along the Valley Ford-Freestone Road just outside Valley Ford in Western Sonoma County. Fire fighters from California Department of Forestry’s Occidental station, Volunteers from Bodega and Valley Ford responded to the scene. The fire burned a fence and dense brush but the crews quickly brought the blaze under control. CDF Spokesman Don Jones (Occidental) reported that the property owner saw the smoke at the edge of his property and called 911. Upon CDF’s arrival on scene, the land owner and two passers-by had stopped and were using shovels to fight the fire. The cause of the fire, which was less than a quarter acre, is unknown. Early that morning it rained in Valley Ford, but by afternoon the grass had dried out enough for the wind to rapidly spread the flames. The grass and vegetation is very dry still and fire danger is still very high.
Boat on trailer and van crash on Highway One
Tuesday August 21, 2007 -------- Heavy summer traffic was jammed Tuesday afternoon when a van and a trailer boat sideswiped each other on Hwy One just south of the Tides complex. The trailer boat was pushed off the roadway with the force of the impact. The van carrying a family to the beach sustained major damage to the front end. Two passengers from the van were transported to Palm Drive Hospital with moderate injuries.
Bodega Bay Fire crew maintained one-way traffic control while the two passengers were prepared for transport. Sheriff's Helicopter Henry-One landed to assist the ambulance crew. Because of the heavy traffic Bodega Bay firefighters were handling traffic control.
Summer driving season has started. Bodega Bay firefighters were busy early Tuesday morning after a carload of youths crashed and flipped their car near Salmon Creek bridge on Hwy One. Three were taken to the emergency room. The youths, who were described by a firefighter as smelling of alcohol abandoned their vehicle after the crash. They were found several blocks away covered with blood. Most of the blood was from cuts sustained while crawling out of their vehicle.
Murder on Dillon Beach
Posted May 27, 2007 -------- The suspects were identified as Robert Marcus, 20, of Elk Grove, Robert Martell, 24, of Antioch and Daren Bell, 24, of Sacramento. All three were booked into Marin County jail and held without bail.
Three men were arrested for murder and booked into Marin County Jail early Sunday morning (May 27). Robert Marcus, 20, of Elk Grove, Robert Martell, 24, of Antioch and Daren Bell, 24, of Sacramento were arrested after a man was found beaten to death on Dillon Beach.
A 911 call at 1 a.m. brought Marin County and Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputies to the coast and campground. At the mouth of Tomales Bay, the large private campground’s population swells to several thousand during three-day weekends.
Marin County Fire Tomales Station and Bodega Bay Fire ambulance responded to the scene. The 24-year-old beaten man, whose name is withheld pending notification of relatives, was declared dead at the scene. Marin County Sheriff’s spokesman said the man was from Santa Rosa. The three men attacked one victim. Other details were not released.
Marin County Coroner identified the dead man as Casey Adams, 26, of Santa Rosa, Monday morning after notifications to his family.
"Residence over a cliff with someone trapped inside"
Tuesday May 22, 2007 -------- At 8 pm the emergency dispatcher's unemotional voice simply said, "Bodega Bay Fire: Engine 8881, Medic 811, Engine 8780 [Bodega] respond for a residence over a cliff Smith Brothers Road cross of Hwy One. One person trapped."
Rescuers scrambled to roll equipment to the scene.
Fire Chief Sean Grinnell was first to the scene and provided a report to additional units on their way. "All incoming units 'Wires down.' Next he ordered all units to approach the scene from the north end of Smith Brothers Road.
Fire Chief Grinnell reported to emergency dispatchers, "We have a single-story residence that slid down the cliff. All residents out with no injuries. Wires are down. Dispatch PG&E."
Long-time resident Ed Nunez was watching TV. His house tllted, creaked and groaned and slid down the cliff. The floor of his house was at street level. The older frame single story flat roofed house slid about 15 feet down and 20-25 feet toward Bodega Harbor. The cliff at that point is about 40 feet above water level. Ed swore there was no wolf at the door huffing and puffing trying to bring the house down.
Red Cross was called to assist the suddenly homeless man. The manager at the Bodega Coast Inn just across Smith Brothers Road gave Nunez a room, family were also called.
The Nunez residence on Smith Brothers Road – it's roof is about where the floor was.
Ed Nunez talks with Resident Deputy Charie Bone after his house fell down the hill.
Saturday May 5 rescuers seach for missing divers
Scotty Creek May 5, 2007 -------- Legions of rescuers launched a desparate effort Saturday after two scuba divers were reported missing at Scotty Creek. A film crew doing a commerical for Kawasaki saw two divers enter the surf and not return. They called 911 about an hour after the divers in black and blue dry suits and scuba tanks went in the water. An underwater "scooter" – used for transportation – washed up onto Gleason Beach at Scotty Creek. The film crew – not associated with the divers – found the scooter and figured the divers were in trouble.
Sonoma County Sheriff's Deputies responded with their boat – The Mussell Point – moored at Spud Point Marina. Sheriff's helicopter, Henry-One, responded from the Sonoma County Airport. Local Deputy Charlie Bone responded. State Park Rangers and Lifeguards responded. Bodega Bay Fire and ambulance was also on scene ready to help. Bodega Bay Coast Guard Station sent a lifeboat and a helicopter from Alameda Station.
Three Lifeguard entered the water, one at the south end of Portuguese Beach, two at Scotty Creek.
The boats watched outside of the rock line cruising the area. The helicopters flew overhead repeatedly scanning for any sign of the divers. State Park Rangers watched from the cliff tops. The Lifeguards swam north against the nearshore current. The other two lifeguard swam out toward several large rocks that are interesting to divers. Another State Park Ranger checked cars at Scotty Creek and at the nearby parking areas for an unaccounted for vehicle.
State Park Rangers and Bodega Bay Fire called off the active search after 40 minutes. By then the divers would certainly be out of air. Helicopter Henry-One flew back to Sonoma County Airport. Shortly afterwards the Coast Guard helicopter was recalled to another search underway in San Francisco Bay.
Shortly after, the two divers walked out of the surf at Scotty Creek.
They were diving with a special air tanks and air that allowed just over two hours underwater.
They had lost their scooter and gave up finding it. The divers were unharmed and the rescuers had a live training exercise.
Rescuers team up to pluck fall victim off cliff face
Wednesday April 4 a man tumbled down the face of a cliff opposite Goat Rock. He fell about 100 feet and landed on a small ledge about 75 above the South Parking lot. State Park Rangers and Lifeguards, Monte Rio Fire Department, Sonoma County Sheriff's Deputies, Bodega Bay Fire Ambulance, REACH helicopter and the California Highway Patrol helicopter H-30 all worked together to bring the man to safety.
State Park Ranger Tim Murphy, Lifeguard Britt Horn were lowered over the cliff face with a Stokes litter to the victim. He was prepared for lifting up and off the cliff face. CHP helicopter H-1 prepared a "pick" of the litter lifting it off the ledge and to safety. The litter was placed in the CHP Baumbag to protect the victim during the helicopter lift. H-1 then transferred the patient to waiting paramedics in the parking lot below. REACH-1 flew the patient to the trauma center at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. He had sustained moderate to severe injuries. Lifeguard Horn and Ranger Murphy were then hauled back to the top of the cliff.
Local fisherman drowns at Mason’s Marina
Posted 10 am, March 21, 2007 -------- A Wheatland man with a fishing boat docked at Mason’s Marina was pulled from the water next to the docks about 11 p.m. Tuesday evening. Residents of the marina called 911 and assisted lifting the heavy man out of the water.
Bodega Bay Fire and Coast Guard responded. Coast Guardsmen, first at the scene, started CPR. Bodega Bay Paramedic and firefighters brought the man to shore and called for a helicopter evacuation.
CPR was continued at the Bodega Bay Fire Ambulance but efforts proved fruitless. He was pronounced dead at 11:42 p.m. His name has not been released by the Sonoma County Coroner’s office pending notification of family.
Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department detectives were at the scene of the tragedy Wednesday morning trying to piece together events that led to him being found in the water.
Drowning victim being carried off the dock to Bodega Bay Ambulance at Mason's Marina
UPDATE: 2:30 pm Wednesday, March 21, 2007 --------
The victim was Robert Fletcher, 49, a resident of Wheatland. Wheatland is near Yuba City.
Sheriff’s investigator’s interviews with first responders who said there may have been a struggle between Fletcher and Dan Nguyen prior to the drowning.
Detectives learned that Fletcher worked as a deckhand on Nguyen’s boat. Fletcher also owned a boat docked at Mason’s, the Cheryl Lee. Detectives determined that Tuesday, Nguyen and Fletcher ran several errands in Santa Rosa before returning to Bodega. They had dinner and drinks at The Casino. After leaving The Casino they went to the Tides Restaurant where they each had another drink or two before returning to Mason’s Marina.
Nguyen and Fletcher arrived at the marina at approx 10:30 p.m. They parked and walked towards the pedestrian ramps leading to their dock.
Nguyen warned Fletcher to be careful of the steep angle of the ramp because of the low tide. Nguyen walked down the ramp followed by Fletcher. At the bottom of the ramp Fletcher lost his balance. He grabbed onto Nguyen and they both fell into the water, where they struggled. Fletcher grabbed onto Nguyen who thought Fletcher would pull the two of them under water. Nguyen broke free and swam to shore. He immediately ran back around onto the dock and tried to pull Fletcher out while yelling for help. Other residents of the Marina called 911 and rushed to help Nguyen pull Fletcher out of the water.
Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Dennis O’Leary said, “Fletcher’s cause of death is unknown. An autopsy will be performed later this week to determine the cause of death.”
Nguyen's imperfect English led to the mistaken belief that the struggle between him and Fletcher was somehow criminal.
