Redondo Beach man’s drowning investigated as possible suicide
Authorities are investigating the death of a Redondo Beach man whose body was found in the waters off Hermosa Beach on Thursday as a possible suicide.
A group of people at the beach watched as the man drank alcohol from a bottle, stripped off his clothes and then walked into the ocean, according to Sgt. Robert Higgins of the Hermosa Beach Police Department.
The 46-year-old Redondo beach resident then swam out into the open water and disappeared, Higgins said. One witness called 911 around 6:40 p.m. to report him missing, he said.
The emergency call triggered a search by the Coast Guard, the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Redondo Beach Harbor Patrol, Higgins said.
About two hours later, the man’s body was found by a police officer in shallow water near 2nd Street in Hermosa Beach, he said.
The officer performed CPR, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene, Higgins said.
Witnesses described the man as looking depressed, and Higgins said his actions “raise questions about his intent.”
“It’s just an unfortunate thing,” he said.
The man’s identity has not been released by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office pending notification of relatives, Higgins said.
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