Man in harbor had drugs in his system

A Costa Mesa man found floating dead in Newport Harbor in November was drunk and had multiple drugs in his system that contributed to his drowning, the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner concluded Thursday.

David Matthew Szwast, 49, had a 0.14 blood-alcohol level and was under the influence of cocaine and various prescription drugs when he accidentally drowned Nov. 7 in Newport Harbor, according to the coroner’s toxicology report.

According to police, two weekend kayakers found Szwast about 6:30 a.m. floating in the middle of the harbor near the Orange Coast College sailing center, 1800 W. Coast Hwy.

The sheriff’s harbor patrol was first on the scene and handed him over to paramedics, who rushed him to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian.

He was pronounced dead there at 7:55 a.m., according to the autopsy report.

Szwast was found floating face down, fully clothed.

There were no boats around or anything he could have apparently fallen from, authorities said the day of the incident.

Szwast also had a pacemaker in his heart, according to the coroner’s report.

A year before his death, court records show Szwast was sentenced to participate in an 18-month alcohol offender program.