Officials Identify Body Found in Boat

Ventura County coroner officials have identified a decomposing body that was found by a Calabasas man as he returned his boat to a Ventura Harbor storage yard.

The officials used dental records provided by a relative to identify the body found Monday as that of 33-year-old Paul Dwyer of Fort Jefferson, N.Y.

There was no sign of foul play, and officials suspect Dwyer died of heat exposure after crawling beneath a heavy canvas tarp covering the 28-foot powerboat’s deck to sleep.

“This guy has a long history of manic-depressive disorder,” Senior Deputy Coroner Craig Stevens said.

“He left New York about six months ago to go find himself, according to his family.”

Dwyer relied upon his family to put money in a bank account that he would withdraw using a family member’s bank card, the only form of identification found on him, Stevens said.

Stevens traced Dwyer’s movements using the bank card, and found he had visited Santa Monica, Malibu and then the Agoura Hills-Calabasas area.

“He had last spoken to his family the late evening of [August] 29th and asked them to put some more money into the account,” Stevens said. “They went down and put money in, but he never took it out.”

Patrick Walsh of Calabasas found Dwyer’s body Monday evening.