Nighttime Dive Ends in Death for Las Vegas Man

A 49-year-old man who went for a nighttime dive with friends off Laguna Beach was found dead early Saturday.

Sheldon Cahoon of Las Vegas had gone scuba diving with five companions at Sleepy Hollow Beach in the 600 block of South Coast Highway, where many people gathered Friday night because it was the start of lobster season, said Laguna Beach Police Sgt. Greg Bartz.

Cahoon’s companions had completed their dive and returned to shore about 2 a.m. when they noticed Cahoon was missing. They found him floating in the water, police said.

“He didn’t indicate any distress,” Bartz said. “They did their dive and they had seen him at the bottom. But something happened . . . [before] he got to the top of the water.”

Friends pulled Cahoon ashore and called police. Officials said they didn’t know if Cahoon was trying to catch lobsters, or if he was part of a scuba-diving class. Bartz also said it was unknown whether Cahoon knew how to swim.

Officials have concluded that his death was accidental. Coroner’s officials completed an autopsy Saturday, but additional tests, which could take several months, would be needed to determine the exact cause of death, said Deputy Coroner Bruce Lyle.