Body Found on Beach May Be That of Boater

Rough seas that had cut short the search for a Lancaster man last week may have finally brought his body to shore Friday--11 days after a boat he was riding in capsized near Oxnard Shores.

What officials believe to be the body of 27-year-old Rick Mould was found washed up on the beach near Point Mugu Naval Air Station.

“We tentatively believe it to be Rick Mould and are awaiting dental confirmation,” said Deputy Coroner Craig Stevens, adding that a wallet was found in a pocket with a driver’s license, bank cards and Social Security card bearing Mould’s name.

“We’ll be better able to confirm the dental records after the autopsy [today],” Stevens said. “But the features described by Mould’s dentist to the chief medical examiner were found to be present.”

A civilian employee had been walking along the beach between 11 a.m. and noon Friday when he spotted the body, Stevens said.

Last week the Oxnard Fire Department received a report that a woman had spotted something floating off Oxnard State Beach in front of Mandalay Beach Resort. Authorities believed it was Mould’s body and sent out rescue swimmers.

But after 20 minutes of being battered by 8-foot waves, authorities said they brought the boat back to shore for their own safety.

Mould and his friend, 40-year-old Lane Mitchell of Lancaster, were riding in Mitchell’s powerboat Oct. 6 when it capsized south of the beach near 5th Street. Mitchell was pronounced dead that afternoon after he was pulled from the water and airlifted to Ventura County Medical Center.

Mitchell had planned to sell the 20-foot-boat, according to his wife Doris. The friends were taking it out one last time on a fishing excursion when the fatal accident occurred.

Both men worked as ride mechanics at Magic Mountain amusement park near Valencia.