Germano DiLorenzo's tragic end came on February 10, 1996, while he was on a twenty-foot Sunbird boat with four friends near Greyhound Rock in the Pacific Ocean near Santa Cruz County, California. The group encountered a series of large waves that flipped the boat over and tossed all passengers into the water four miles south of Ano Nuevo Island.

DiLorenzo was not wearing a life jacket and could not swim, causing him to slip beneath the water despite rescue efforts by surfers who came to their aid. All other passengers were successfully rescued, but DiLorenzo was believed to have drowned.

Following the incident, DiLorenzo's wife filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the boat's captain in 1997, alleging negligence for not making DiLorenzo wear a life jacket. She sought unspecified damages in the case.