Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

At about 12:15 hours on Sunday July 9th , a Humboldt County Deputy Coroner responded to Shelter Cove for the report of an apparent drowning victim. Fifty one year old Myers Flat resident Michael Allen Byerley (DOB 08/13/1965) had been surfing when he experienced medical difficulties while in the water.

Fellow surfers pulled him out of the water and immediately took him to the Shelter Cove Volunteer Fire Department where unsuccessful life saving measures were taken. Byerley was pronounced deceased at 12:15 hours. Byerley’s family has been notified of the tragedy, and the investigation continues to determine if there was a medical issue causing the drowning.