UPDATE: Coast Guard Ends Search for Woman Swept Away at Rialto Beach, Washington Coast

Published 09/26/23 at 6:58 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Olympic Peninsula, Washington) – UPDATE: US Coast Guard ended its search for the missing woman at the Washington coast's Rialto Beach. Approximately 5 p.m., a body washed up in Clallam County that was apparently the missing 26-year-old.

“Olympic National Park Rangers reported they had located the body of a deceased person matching the description of the missing woman,” the Coast Guard said in a release.

Coast Guard helicopter aircrews searched over five hours and covered 51 square miles of ocean and beach. ORIGINAL ARTICLE BELOW

A 26-year-old woman is missing on a north Washington coast beach, bringing the US Coast Guard and other agencies into a frantic search in the waters off Rialto Beach in Clallam County. She was reportedly swept into the ocean at this notoriously rough beach and taken by currents. (Above: Rialto Beach, courtesy US Forest Service)

Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received the report about 10:50 a.m. Monday, with witnesses saying she was sucked into the surf by heavy waves. She is described as wearing a pink sweater and black pants.

US Coast Guard officials launched two helicopters and one land search party, a search that is still considered active after dark.

Other helicopter crews are involved as well, including one from the Oregon coast at Astoria. Other Coast Guard searchers include: an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles; a land search party from Coast Guard Station Quillayute River; members of the Clallam County Sheriff's Office; a search and rescue team from the Olympic National Park, and the La Push Tribal Police Department.

Anyone with information pertaining to this search is asked to contact the Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound Command Center at (206) 217-6001.

If you see someone you think might be in distress in the water contact 911 for assistance

Experts say this beach is known for heavy tides and its proliferation of logs, which are a bad combo. This is one Washington coast beach where you really must never turn your back on the tides.

The National Park Service (NPS), which runs the Olympic National Park and Rialto Beach, said it's imperative you know the tides here.

You should bring along a topographic map and plan your route as well. High tides also create special dangers around headlands, and many of them cannot be traveled around when that occurs. Be prepared to hike over headlands here.

Much of Rialto Beach is not very wide, making it an area where you must be extra vigilant. More Washington Coast and below:

MORE PHOTOS BELOW

Above: courtesy US Coast Guard, Puget Sound Sector

Rialto Beach, courtesy John Leszczynski / Flickr

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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