One fatality in Tomales Bay boating incident

A wave reportedly swamped the boat Monday, dumping two men and two dogs in the water.|

A San Jose man died Monday when a wave capsized a boat near the mouth of Tomales Bay, a notoriously dangerous spot that has seen a number of fatalities over the years.

The victim’s identity was not released by the Marin County Sheriff’s Department, but a TV report identified him as a 46-year-old San Jose casino dealer.

Few details of the accident, which was first reported just after noon, were available.

There were two men and two dogs onboard the 13-foot-long Boston Whaler when it overturned, according to John Dell’Osso, a spokesman with Point Reyes National Seashore.

“The mouth is very treacherous,“ he said of the entrance to the bay where waves can sometimes go in several different directions at once.

He said boats overturn there two or three times a year but “they don’t always end up with a tragedy.”

The two men reportedly had left from Bodega Bay and were on their way to Lawson’s Landing, a fishing and boating resort near the entrance to Tomales Bay, to meet people and go clamming, according to Marisa Kitson, a cashier and receptionist at the landing.

She said there was a high swell and the ocean was choppy at the time.

“They call it a ‘bar,’ she said of the rocks and shallow water at the entrance to the bay. “It’s very treacherous if you don’t know it.”

A Bodega Bay firefighter said the victim was not wearing a life jacket when his body was recovered. The dogs’ fate was unclear Monday.

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