Missing Ventura man found, pronounced dead at hospital

VENTURA, Calif. — A missing man who was last seen Saturday in Midtown Ventura, was found unresponsive off the coast Sunday morning, and pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital.

Niko Nakamura, 32, was reported missing Saturday and was last seen wearing a black hoodie, sweatpants and checkered Vans shoes. According to the Ventura Police Department, he did not have his phone, wallet or keys.

Early this morning, however, at about 7:00 a.m., Ventura City Fire Department units were dispatched to the 3000 block of Pierpoint boulevard about a reported person not breathing, which emergency personnel later discovered to be Nakamura.

Nakamura was transported to the Community Memorial Hospital as fire crews continued giving him "ASL care." The 32-year-old, however, was pronounced deceased at the hospital.

Ventura City fire say, the 32-year-old was located 64 minutes after units arrived on scene and advanced life support measures were deployed on the beach.

According to Ventura City police, city fire crews arrived within six minutes of dispatch and quickly realized this was an ocean rescue taking place with a confirmed victim under water. The VCFD ordered a regional ocean rescue response.

Ventura City fire crews immediately deployed an ocean rescue swimmer with State Parks to perform a grid search in the ocean with nine qualified ocean rescue swimmers from multiple agencies.

The Oxnard Fire Department, the Ventura County Fire Department, Harbor Patrol and State Parks all assisted city fire and city police.

Ventura Fire says five engines, three ocean rescue teams, three Battalion Chiefs, one Harbor Patrol
Boat, one Copter and one Harbor Patrol Rescue Water Craft were used.