Mendocino Man Dies After Fall from Cliffs Near Portuguese Beach

Press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office:

On 01-14-2025 at approximately 3:38 P.M., the Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a possible water rescue in the area of Portuguese Beach, in Mendocino, CA.

A citizen in the area of Main Street in Mendocino called emergency services to report a subject along the coastline who may have fallen from the cliffs above.  The reporting party informed emergency responders the subject on the beach below was not moving and called to request assistance.

Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Deputies arrived to assist, along with Adventist Health Mendocino Coast Ambulance Paramedics.  The victim, later identified as 65-year-old Douglas Craig Shapiro of Mendocino, was located on the beach below the steep cliff south of Kasten Street.  The Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department water-rescue team deployed a pair of their jet-skis from the Big River Boat Launch and quickly arrived in the area where Shapiro was located and packaged for transport.

Shapiro was transported via jet-ski from the beach to the north boat launch at Big River Beach in Mendocino.  An off-duty Emergency Room Physician happened to be near the boat launch and immediately conducted an assessment of Shapiro upon arrival to Big River Beach.  The Physician pronounced Shapiro deceased at 1632 hours on 01-14-2025.

Deputies observed injuries on the decedent consistent with a great fall and began a coroner’s investigation into Shapiro’s death.  Deputies determined foul play was not suspected and Shapiro’s cause and manner of death will be later determined by a Forensic Pathologist.  It can take multiple months to receive all associated reports to finalize the coroner’s investigation and determine the official manner and cause of death.

Shapiro’s next of kin was contacted and notified of his death.

Anyone with information regarding this coroner’s investigation is requested to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center at 707-463-4086.