David Goldberg Died of Head Trauma in Exercise Accident, Mexican Official Says

By José de Córdoba 

David Goldberg, the chief executive of SurveyMonkey.com LLC and the husband of Facebook Inc. Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, died Friday after falling from a treadmill at a gym at the Four Seasons Hotel in Punta Mita, Mexico, a spokeswoman for the attorney general's office of Nayarit state said on Monday.

The spokeswoman, who didn't wish to be named, said that Mr. Goldberg had gone to exercise, alone, at one of the hotel's gyms around 4 p.m. Friday. It appears that he lost his balance and fell, hitting the back of his head, the spokeswoman said.

The fall caused a three-centimeter gash in the back of Mr. Goldberg's head. He was still alive when he was found by his brother Robert between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., the spokeswoman said. He was immediately taken to San Javier Hospital in the nearby town of Nuevo Vallarta, where he died.

The cause of death was given as severe brain trauma and shock caused by massive loss of blood, the spokeswoman said.

A medical examiner at the Forensic Services of the State of Nayarit said by telephone that Mr. Goldberg's body had been handed over to his relatives and returned to the U.S. The medical examiner confirmed that the death occurred on Friday in the Four Seasons Hotel.

Mr. Goldberg, 47 years old, was staying at the hotel during a vacation with family and friends, according to a person close to the family. The family is planning a service and burial in California.

Mr. Goldberg had led SurveyMonkey since 2009, after stints at Yahoo Inc. and several startup companies and in venture capital.

SurveyMonkey didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

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