Man died trying to save dog in boating accident

TOMALES BAY, California -- High surf of more than 13 feet capsized a small boat and killed a San Jose man Monday, while another person survived.

RELATED: 1 dead, 1 rescued in Tomales Bay boating accident

The incident happened within sight of friends who were waiting on the beach for them to arrive in Tomales Bay.

The victim's friends said his name is Brian Ho, 46. He was a dealer at the Casino M8trix in San Jose.

In fact, ABC7 News was told everyone in the party worked at the casino.

Chinn Psan tried to save Ho's life. He was so exhausted and wondered how he survived. "I'm sorry, I am so tired. I'm so upset, I cannot, I'm sorry," he said.

The high surf nearly took his life, as well.

They were crossing a sand bar on their way to pick up friends to go clamming when they became overwhelmed. "They hit a big wave, the boat was flipped up, so Brian tried to save the dog and he held on with the dog and fell down with the dog," friend Trish Lu said.

Locals who know these waters describe conditions as being treacherous. Doug Bagley said the best way to deal with them is to stay away.

When asked what it's like to be in 13-foot plus waves, Lawsons Landing employee Doug Bagley responded by saying: "They constantly crash, and they're pretty close together about every three or four seconds. So, even experienced boaters do not want to go out there."

For several hours after the accident, Marin County rescue crews kept the body in an ambulance, waiting for the coroner.

The lone survivor is still trying to make sense of how what should have been a good day, turned tragic. "My boyfriend did his best trying to save Brian's life," Lu said.