Body Washes Up on Beach; Police Suspect Suicide

Authorities are investigating the apparent suicide of a man whose body washed ashore Wednesday afternoon on a private beach along Ventura County’s southernmost coast.

The body of a bearded man in his 40s was discovered at an enclave of oceanfront homes in the 42000 block of Pacific Coast Highway about 5 p.m., authorities said. Witnesses said the man was dressed in a plaid shirt and swim trunks, and that he appeared to have been shot in the head.

Authorities would not confirm whether the man had a gunshot wound. They said he had sustained several injuries and that their cause was under investigation.

Authorities said late Wednesday that the man apparently had taken his own life.

The beach where the body was found is near Yerba Buena Road, about 2 miles north of the Los Angeles County line.

A woman who lives in a house on Pacific Coast Highway discovered the body upon returning home from work.

“I was out on my deck, and I just saw it rolling around there at the waterline,” said the woman who requested anonymity. She said she did not recognize the man and that he did not appear to live in any of the nearby homes that overlook the Pacific Ocean.

The woman called 911, and soon crews from the Ventura County Fire Department’s Malibu station were on scene.

“When we got to him it was apparent he was dead,” said county Fire Department Capt. Darrell Stillwagon. “He had been in the water awhile. His arms were sticking straight up in the air.”

Authorities were still trying to determine the man’s identity late Wednesday, and an autopsy was scheduled for today.