Posted on 02/05/2018 2:00:10 PM PST by sodpoodle
Two women died digging for clams along the Washington coast Friday in separate incidents that occurred after they were caught in rough surf, officials said.
The Pacific County Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook the women were reported missing around 9 p.m., roughly four minutes apart, from two beaches in Pacific County, located in the southwest part of the state.
"These incidents serve as a tragic reminder that one must always be vigilant of the powerful surf and waves that are often present on our ocean beaches," Sheriff Scott Johnson said. "Always stay close to other clammers, bring a flashlight or lantern, a waterproof cell phone, and never turn your back on the surf as 'sneaker waves' can appear at any time."
The first 911 call came in about 8:57 p.m. reporting a 70-year-old woman was lost in the surf while digging clams on the Oysterville beach north of Ocean Park on the Long Beach Peninsula, the sheriff's office said. A search was hampered "due to rough surf and inclement weather conditions," but officials from the Coast Guard were eventually able to send a team to the scene.
Her body was found around 5 p.m. Saturday in the town of Westport in neighboring Grays Harbor County. Officials said in the second case, a 61-year-old woman from Toledo was reported missing at 9:01 p.m. in the surf near the mouth of the Willapa Bay. The woman had been digging for clams with her husband when they became separated. Rescue personnel from several agencies were immediately dispatched to the scene and began scouring the area. Her body was found around 5:30 a.m. on Saturday in Pacific County, the sheriff's office said.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Ugh, I was going somewhere else with that title...
Maybe they should wear sturdy life jackets anytime they are near the surf too. That would not help prevent hypothermia in the water, through.
Also clamming after dark they probably couldn’t see sneaker waves
Also in the dark, so probably couldn’t see the high surf.. does anyone else think it strange that so many people go clam digging at 9pm on a Sunday night in February?
Some Clams are stronger than others.....
The bearded ones can be quite elusive and wildly inconsistent in quality.
‘Life Jackets’ - great suggestion. The gubmint will probably mandate their use after this tragedy. Heck, they are required while riding/sailing on the waterways.
Louisiana, and it was oysters.
So they die instead of hyperthermia after 20 minutes in that cold water.
I was walking with a friend one summer evening at around 10:00 PM on the Northern Oregon coast in the late 70’s.
We heard a ‘woosh’ and, due to bright moonlight, we could see a wave coming at us FAST.
-Important note - The beach we were walking on was very shallow and the difference between high and low tides could be 500’ and during super low tides 1,000’+ feet.
we began running and jumped on a large piece of driftwood (a 25’ tree that was half buried) just as the wave overtook us. We got wet as the water went 300’ past us then receded.
Just South of us two middle-aged women were drowned after taking a walk on the beach after seeing a movie.
Waves can be, as you mentioned, sneaky...
Should have said hypothermia.
Clams were sleeping; easy to sneak up on.
The beaches of Wa State are NOTHING TO MESS WITH. Man, unreal power, and rocks, rocks THIS big!
Maybe also with a rope tied to an anchor point on the beach. Then if swept out to sea they can reel themselves back in.
LOL, no silly, that was one of the 2 daily low tides, the best time to dig clams.
Paul Ryan probably dumped them from their wheelchairs...
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