Posted by Max Bottomtime on May 27, 2005 at 20:49:18:
Diver Found Dead at Base of Cliffs
By Carrie Yamato Peninsula News
PVE -- A 44-year-old Hermosa Beach male diver died from a knife wound Sunday afternoon below the 2800 block of Paseo del Mar.
A Peninsula resident found the diver, David Millasich, while walking his dog on the beach.
According to Palos Verdes Estates Police Capt. Jim Kronberger, when the witness saw Millasich, he was lying face down on the rocks in his wet suit. The witness, who is an emergency medical technician, turned Millasich's body over and discovered large amounts of blood and a wound near his right chest area.
Millasich told him that he slipped and fell on his knife, and that he pulled the knife out himself.
Millasich also suffered some trauma to his head.
After unsuccessful attempts to contact 911 on his cell phone, the witness flagged down an officer who was patrolling Paseo del Mar.
When officer Joseph Hall went down to the bottom of the cliff with paramedics around 3:15 p.m., Millasich was dead.
Los Angeles County Coroners officials arrived shortly after and took the body to L.A. County Hospital.
The incident is under investigation, but PVE police say it appears to be a "freak accident."
"We haven't seen anything that would lead us to believe anything has happened," said Kronberger. "There's nothing to believe there's any foul play. We don't know why his knife was out and I guess we will never know."
Kronberger said there was nothing in Millasich's dive bag.
Millasich is survived by his mother, ex-wife and daughter.