"Olympic Swimmer and Bay Area Coach Richard Thornton Passes Away at 65 in Santa Cruz Surf Incident"
Richard Thornton, a 1980 U.S. Olympian and renowned swim coach, passed away at the age of 65 at The Hook, a surf spot in Santa Cruz. While initially reported as a surfing accident, his daughter clarified that he died stepping into the water, with the cause of death still unknown. Thornton had a distinguished career in swimming, coaching Olympic and World Championship finalists, and was named Pacific Swimming Coach of the Year. His father, Nort Thornton, was also a prominent swim coach at UC Berkeley. The swimming community mourns his loss.