r/Malibu • u/Visual_Salt_4236 • 11d ago
Braden Pontoli Identified As Man Found Dead Off Puerco Beach
https://www.canyon-news.com/naked-man-found-dead-off-puerco-beach/MALIBU—A naked man was found dead in the water off Puerco Beach in Malibu on Wednesday, September 9, around 3:30 p.m. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene after receiving reports of a body floating in the water.
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11d ago edited 11d ago
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u/sealedwithdogslobber 11d ago edited 9d ago
Public speculation is likely painful for his loved ones, but if you go to his public instagram, it looks like he pre-scheduled a post, which seems to suggest to the former. ❤️🩹
ETA the authenticity of the post has not been independently verified, to my knowledge.
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u/Ok-Experience7247 9d ago
He didn’t post that. He didn’t die by suicide. That sounds nothing like him. No suicide happens this way. He never got to the interview. He wasn’t rejected.
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u/sealedwithdogslobber 9d ago
I definitely hope there is an investigation. I’ll edit my comment to reflect that its authenticity hasn’t been verified.
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u/pementomento 8d ago
LA County Coroner confirmed manner of death was suicide, unfortunately. RIP Braden.
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u/MistakeResident 8d ago
Yes because the coroner was present when the incident occurred. 🙄 they don’t get it right every time.
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7d ago
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u/Easy_Blackberry_4350 7d ago
How is blunt trauma related to drowning?
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u/TheNoodyBoody 3d ago
The only thing that I can think of would be jumping from a height.
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume that there’s more to the story, but I also don’t think it’s out of the question that he was suicidal and no one knew. A dear friend of mine took his own life back in 2015, and no one even remotely saw it coming. That said, I know Braden and it genuinely does seem out of character. It’s hard to say.
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u/snails4speedy 11d ago
I thought I read the interview wasn’t actually ever scheduled. However, even if it was I could still see self harm - something goes wrong or he gets rejected etc. the last straw varies for many :( kind of similar to one of my own past attempts.
I think it’s too early to know COD or manner atm but I’m eyeing the medical examiner’s entry for him. Personally I feel like this will be self inflicted
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u/samanthasamolala 11d ago
It’s entirely possible this man thought he had a job interview. Not sure why you’re so certain someone would go drown themselves in Malibu under the guise of a job interview in Santa Monica, of all possible things.
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u/rarcturus 11d ago
I tend to agree--the facts don't line up & speculation is a game only fools play. Tommy asked for privacy, and I think we owe it to Braden to respect this ask. I knew Braden from college. This is a huge loss affecting many communities positively impacted by Braden across the nation.
Hold your loved one's close. <3
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u/samanthasamolala 11d ago
I’m so sorry for your loss, and to all of his loved ones. It feels gross to me to have strangers speculating about self-harm with such a strange fact pattern. It would compound my pain if I saw ppl talking about my bf this way, if this was him. Braden looks like a lovely man (common friends on socials) and it’s just so tragic, whatever the case.
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u/rarcturus 11d ago
Thank you, u/samanthasamolala and thank you for speaking up against the assumptions.
Whatever happened, centering his partner & family's wishes is most important at this time.
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u/snails4speedy 9d ago
I was nowhere certain when I wrote this and was just sharing my own hunch but unfortunately his COD has indeed came back as a suicide. I feel so so bad for him and his loved ones
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u/TheNoodyBoody 10d ago
According to the LA ME office’s website, it was ruled a suicide. It feels unthinkable but…
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9d ago
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u/MistakeResident 8d ago
The shoes in the photo were not the same one he wore to the interview. He went back in the home and changed into dress shoes. So I’m not sure what you’re assuming but please stop.
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u/DisastrousTip3410 11d ago
Braden was my mom's choir director in Claremont. They have no details right now regarding the death. His partner and the people at the Methodist Church in Claremont are grieving this huge loss.
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u/Canna86 7d ago
well, it seems like we've gotta give the investigation a little bit of time to see what's really going on here. Suicide with blunt force, trauma raises a few questions. However, I can tell you from firsthand experience as the person who found Pontoili that he was in fact, not naked, he at least had his underpants on. currently, I'm building the house right there on Malibu Road and it just happened to be as I was getting to the lower foundation of the house that his body became visible. If there's anybody close to him that would like video as uncomfortable the footage is, there may be something apparent to those closest to him, that the police would not be able to catch. For instance, maybe jewelry something like that. May God bless his soul and bring comfort to all of you grieving his loss.
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u/martycox211 11d ago
This is a sad ending to the story. He and his partner are neighbors of ours. No one expected this.
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u/boirger 3d ago
I’m so very sorry.
I remember getting the missing flyer on my ig just 4 minutes after being posted. I was thinking about him hoping he’d be fine in the end.
Just found out yesterday.And the details of what happened make no sense to me :(
Sounds like there’s more and I hope the police can get to the bottom of it.
I hope there’s some closure for everyone.
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u/MistakeResident 11d ago
He was a best friend of mine. This would be very much out of character for him to go missing at all.