Authorities have identified the elderly woman who died after being swept into the ocean by a large wave at MacKerricher State Park last week.
The woman was identified as Diane L. Wittig, a 77-year-old Fort Bragg resident, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release on Monday. Deputies have notified her legal next of kin.
According to authorities, Wittig was knocked off a rock by a large wave and swept into the ocean around 2 p.m. Dec. 22 at MacKerricher Beach. Bystanders rescued her from the water and brought her to shore, but she became unresponsive and lost consciousness.
Advanced life-saving measures were performed, but Wittig was pronounced dead at the scene by fire and medical personnel.
An autopsy conducted Dec. 23 determined the preliminary cause of death to be acute asphyxial brain injury due to submersion in water and drowning, authorities said. The final cause and manner of death remain pending completion of investigative reports by a forensic pathologist.
A previous news release from sheriff’s deputies said no suspicious circumstances were found and that the incident was witnessed by bystanders. Wittig appeared to be visiting the park alone, and no identifying documents were initially located.
A story published by the Mendocino Voice on Dec. 24 described Wittig as a Fort Bragg native and attendee of Fort Bragg High School.
The coroner’s investigation remains ongoing.
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