Sheriff Seeks Identity of Drowned Woman
Victim is described as a white woman in her seventies
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help to identify a woman in her 70s who drowned Monday after being swept into the ocean by a large wave at MacKerricher State Park.
The Mendocino Coast is known for unpredictable surf, strong currents and so-called sneaker waves that can surge suddenly far beyond the normal waterline. Authorities routinely warn visitors to remain well back from rocky shorelines, avoid turning their backs on the ocean, and heed posted warnings, particularly during periods of high surf.
According to a sheriff’s office press release, deputies were dispatched to a beach just north of Laguna Point at about 2 p.m. after the CAL FIRE Howard Forest Dispatch Center requested help for an emergency involving California State Parks personnel.
Investigators said the woman, described as a white female adult in her 70s, was knocked off a rock by a large wave and swept into the ocean. One or more bystanders who witnessed the incident entered the water and brought her back to shore, where she lost consciousness.
Advanced life-saving measures were performed on the beach, but fire and medical personnel were unable to revive her. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Responding deputies determined that no one at the beach knew the woman and that she did not appear to be visiting the park with anyone else. Investigators reported no suspicious circumstances and found no evidence of foul play.
Additional investigative efforts included checking unattended vehicles in the park’s parking areas and contacting local and regional law enforcement agencies to determine whether any missing persons reports matched the woman’s description.
The woman had no identifying documents and no distinctive features such as scars or tattoos, authorities said.
The sheriff’s office said it is continuing efforts to positively identify the woman and will release additional information once she has been identified and her next of kin notified. A post-mortem examination by a forensic pathologist is scheduled for next week. The official cause and manner of death will not be released until that examination and related investigative reports are complete.
Anyone with information that could help identify the woman is asked to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office at 707-463-4086, option 1.