Well known Mendocino man dies in apparent fall from bluff

Editor’s note: This article has been updated; we deeply regret any added pain and suffering that we’ve caused by our reporting on the tragic death of Quinn Greene.

MENDOCINO, 6/14/23 — A beloved resident of the village of Mendocino died when he fell into the ocean on Saturday night from the blufftops in Mendocino just north of Big River Beach.Quinn Thomas Greene, 38, attended the old Albion Whale School and has been part of the community much of his life. The area where he fell includes spectacular vistas and an oceanfront trail. Greene’s body had still not been recovered by Tuesday. There are no details available on the circumstances of how he fell. The press release is below.

The press release is below.

Victim(s): Quinn Thomas Greene (38-year-old male from Mendocino)

Suspect(s): N/A

Written By: Sergeant Ze Lima  #1224

Synopsis: On 06-10-2023 at around 8:15 PM, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies, along with California State Parks Rangers and the Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department, were dispatched to a cliff fall victim in the area of Big River Beach, near the Township of Mendocino. Deputies and allied agencies arrived and contacted a witness, who reported that he had witnessed an adult male, which Deputies believe to be Quinn Thomas Greene, fall a great distance from the cliff and land in the Pacific Ocean below. Greene was last seen floating face-down in the ocean and appeared unresponsive.

The Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department launched their small watercraft and began searching the area and were later joined by a US Coast Guard Station Noyo River 47′ Motor Lifeboat and a HH-65 Helicopter from US Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay. Greene was not located and search efforts were suspended, due to darkness. 

On the morning of 06-11-2023, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue volunteers arrived in the area and resumed searching for Greene. A Search and Rescue Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (drone) was used to check multiple coves and crevasses that were impossible to access by SAR ground searchers. The US Coast Guard also continued their aerial search with an HH-65 Helicopter from US Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay. At around 3:00 PM, after checking and clearing the coastline from the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse to Van Damme State Park, Greene was not located and search efforts were suspended.