Officials identify woman swept into ocean from rock in Northern California

Update: A woman swept into the ocean by a wave from MacKerricher Beach in MacKerricher State Park near Fort Bragg on Dec. 22 has been identified as Diane L. Wittig, 77, of Fort Bragg, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said in a Monday, Dec. 29, news release. Her identity was initially unknown.

The original story is below:

A woman died after being swept off a rock into the ocean at a Fort Bragg beach, California sheriff’s officials reported.

A wave swept the women away at MacKerricher Beach in MacKerricher State Park at about 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Bystanders rescued the woman and brought her back to shore. But she lost consciousness and could not be revived, deputies said. She was pronounced dead at the beach.

The woman, believed to be in her 70s, remains unidentified, deputies said. She had no identification and deputies could not find anyone at the beach with her.

Deputies also could not identify her vehicle in the parking lot. The woman had no scars, tattoos or other identifiable features.

“No suspicious circumstances were found at the beach as the incident was witnessed by bystanders who rescued the subject from the ocean,” deputies said.

They ask anyone with information to call 707-463-4086.

Fort Bragg is about 150 miles northwest of San Francisco.

This story was originally published December 23, 2025 at 12:56 PM.