SEAL BEACH : Heart Attack Kills Surfer Near Pier
A Long Beach surfer suffered a fatal heart attack Thursday night just as he was catching a wave near the Municipal Pier, fire and police officials said.
It was first believed that Johnny Castagnaro, 42, had drowned when he was found face down in the surf, his board still tethered to his leg, Orange County Fire Department spokeswoman Kathleen Cha said.
But the county coroner’s office ruled Friday afternoon that Castagnaro was killed by a heart attack.
Three unidentified friends, who were surfing with Castagnaro just before the 8 p.m. heart attack, said he had a seizure and fell off the board, Cha said.
When fire paramedics arrived, they found Castagnaro’s friends trying to revive him with cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Cha said, but he showed no signs of life.
The paramedic unit transported Castagnaro to Los Alamitos Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, Cha said.
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