Yesterday, a car shot off the shoreline near the Sausalito Yacht Harbor and sank, leaving a 76-year-old local man dead and a passenger shaken but not hospitalized, according to emergency officials.
Firefighters and a private diver pulled one person from the submerged vehicle while another occupant managed to escape without needing hospital care. The driver was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The crash happened in the D Dock area near Humboldt Avenue in mid-afternoon.
Rescue Crews Pull Trapped Occupant From About 10 Feet Down
Southern Marin Fire's dive team was dispatched at about 2:38 PM and arrived to find the vehicle sitting roughly 10 feet underwater. Divers entered the harbor and recovered the trapped occupant from inside the car. Fire crews then brought the person to the dock, where lifesaving efforts began on the pier.
One firefighter was evaluated for minor injuries amid the hectic response. Multiple marine units and partner agencies assisted at the scene, and the U.S. Coast Guard was notified, according to the Southern Marin Fire District.
Driver Identified as Sausalito Resident; Cause Still a Mystery
The Marin County chief deputy coroner identified the driver as Brian Thayer Mullins, 76, of Sausalito. He was taken from the harbor to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to The Press Democrat.
Police told the paper that Mullins had stopped near the D dock, then suddenly accelerated and drove straight into the water for reasons that remain unclear. Officials have not said whether impairment or a medical emergency was a factor.
Vehicle Recovery and Environmental Safeguards Underway
According to the district's incident update, rescuers confirmed the vehicle was clear of any additional occupants once operations wrapped up. Arrangements were then set in motion for removing the car from the water and handling environmental notifications tied to the submersion.
Incident Commander Jon Butler and Sausalito Police Captain Brian Mather were listed as contacts on the release. The district noted that the rapid deployment of dive teams was critical in the cold, shallow waters of Richardson Bay, which complicate both rescue attempts and later recovery efforts, according to the Southern Marin Fire District.
Shallow Harbor Turns Cars Into Traps, Making Speed Crucial
Richardson Bay is riddled with shallow spots where a vehicle can come to rest in relatively little water yet still leave people trapped inside, especially if the car flips or the cabin fills quickly. Local shoreline and flood-control materials caution that shallow areas can complicate both recovery work and environmental response, according to the Marin County Flood Control District.
As investigators continue to sort out what led to the car's plunge into the harbor, officials are asking anyone with eyewitness accounts or video of the incident to contact Sausalito police.
For additional reporting and the coroner's identification of the driver, see coverage by The Press Democrat.
