TIMBER COVE, California (18 May 2009) — The Sonoma County Sheriff's Department has identified the man who died while diving with a friend off California's North Coast. Authorities told CDNN that Rory George Kondo, 58, of Sacramento, was found floating face up in the ocean on Sunday. Kondo's friend pulled him back onboard their dive boat and headed for shore as he called for help. Timber Cove fire-rescue personnel and state parks rangers responded to the diver emergency call and attempted to revive Kondo with CPR. Meanwhile, a sheriff's helicopter was scrambled and took Kondo to a REACH medical helicopter but it was already too late and the diving accident victim was pronounced dead. Kondo was the third person to die in 2009 while diving for abalone off California's North Coast. On April 21, Otto Arndt of Marin County died while diving off Point Arena. About a week later, Moon Choi of San Francisco died three days after he was critically injured while diving near the Fort Ross reef. In 2008, CDNN reported that eight people died while diving for abalone in the same area. | 
