Goleta man drowns while lobster fishing in Ventura County

VENTURA, Calif. - A Goleta man was found deceased near his fishing boat in Ventura County early Sunday morning.

60-year-old Scott Escalera was born and raised in Santa Barbara and is an alumnus from Santa Barbara High School.

The Ventura County Medical Examiner said it seems Escalera drowned near the Santa Clara Estuary just south of the Ventura Harbor.

Escalera's relatives said he had towed his skiff, a small boat used for fishing, down to Ventura to go lobster fishing.

They speculate that his fishing waders may have filled with water and weighed him down while he was standing in the high surf.

Escalera is survived by his daughter and a large extended family in the Santa Barbara and Ventura area.