This ocean kills! Stay back! Deputies seek help to ID woman, 70, pulled alive from surf who was alone at MacKerricher- stay home today, get ready for power outages, Voice IDs victim as Diane Wittig

UPDATED PRESS RELEASE (12/29/2025 at 2:00 P.M.):

As a part of this continuing coroner’s investigation, Sheriff’s Deputies were able to identify and notify the legal next-of-kin for the decedent. The decedent was identified as Diane L. Wittig, a 77-year-old female from Fort Bragg, CA. An autopsy was performed as a part of this investigation on 12/23/2025 and the preliminary cause of death was determined to be acute asphyxial brain injury, submersion in water, and drowning. The final cause and manner of death determination is pending the completion of investigative reports by the Forensic Pathologist. 

EDITORS’ NOTE- The Mendocino Voice has reported, having been contacted by the family that the person who died was Diane Wittig of Fort Bragg , 77. Witting moved to Fort Bragg in about 2021 after living in Petaluma and Santa Rosa. Her last address showed she lived a considerable distance from Mackerricher, on Halsey Way near Otis Johnson Park. We have not been given any information by the police. A press release said she was a woman in her 70s and they had asked in town about a 70 year old woman. We generally don’t try to horn into these, things but in general we are given better information than we got this time . Giving out less than the usual information results in the media doing its own investigation and taking back channel reports. We are glad the Voice found out, but are disappointed in the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deparment THIS IS NOT THE WAY guys. It results in situations where families can become victims of the media, I have seen it, but wont be doing it myself.

Monday was sunny but with big waves. A woman died when knocked off the rocks. It doesn’t take a sneaker wave right now, just big waves all the time, stay back! Authorities are trying to find out who she is on Tuesday. She was rescued alive but died and nobody was with her and she had no papers. We asked Capt. Cromer for more info but he said they were not releasing anything else. She is white in her 70s and still unidentified as of 9:45 a.m. There was no report of a car. Many local people walk in, but also sometimes people come down from the oceanfront hotels and Best Western to Mackerricher on foot.

A press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office

Synopsis:  

On 12/22/2025 at approximately 2:00 P.M., Sheriff’s Deputies with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the area of MacKerricher Beach at the MacKerricher State Park. The Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center was contacted by CalFire Howard Forest Dispatch Center, requesting deputies respond to assist medical and California State Parks personnel. 

Sheriff’s Deputies responded and learned a subject was knocked off a rock by a large wave and swept into the ocean. Bystanders who witnessed the incident were able to rescue the subject from the ocean and brought the female back to the shore. The female who was rescued from the ocean became unresponsive and lost consciousness after being brought to the nearby beach. 

Advanced live-saving measures were performed but were unsuccessful and the female subject was pronounced deceased by fire and medical personnel at the scene. Sheriff’s Deputies responded to conduct a coroner’s investigation and determined nobody at the scene knew the female subject and nobody was visiting the MacKerricher State Park with the person who died. The decedent is described as an elderly, white, female adult in her 70s with no unique identifying features (scars / marks / tattoos etc.), and no identifying documents were located with the female. 

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

Additional investigative efforts were conducted to include checking unattended vehicles left at the parking area of MacKerricher State Park and inquiring with other local law enforcement agencies regarding possible missing persons reports. Sheriff’s Deputies are still attempting to positively identify the elderly female adult who died on 12/22/2025 and additional information will be released regarding this investigation once the decedent has been properly identified and their legal next-of-kin have been notified of the circumstances of this coroner’s investigation. 

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office notified local and regional law enforcement of this investigation and requested to be contacted immediately if other law enforcement agencies are notified of a missing person matching the general description/age of the elderly female from this case.

A post-mortem examination will be conducted in the following week by a forensic pathologist. The official cause and manner of death will not be released until the pathologist completes their examination and investigative reports. 

Anyone with information related to this investigation is requested to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office at 707-463-4086 (option 1).

Approved by: 

Captain Quincy Cromer #2651