Tofino police have confirmed that a 52 year-old woman died after an ocean accident off Long Beach near Tofino on Sunday morning.
Cpl. Stu Hert of the Tofino RCMP told the Westerly News police received a report of a woman in distress in the water near Lovekin Rock around 10:30 a.m.
乌鸦传媒淏y the time emergency services arrived, people in the area, and other surfers, had assisted in removing her from the water and First Aid was rendered, however, she did not survive,乌鸦传媒� Hert said adding the woman was not a local resident.
He said no foul play is suspected and added that locals and visitors must be aware of the risks posed by the ocean.
乌鸦传媒淏eaches in Tofino area are unsupervised. People are responsible for their own safety and part of that is being aware that the ocean is unpredictable. The rip currents, the waves, all of that is unpredictable and it goes a long way to educate yourself about some of the common risks so you can try to avoid them.乌鸦传媒�
Police have not released the identity of the woman, but Vernon, B.C. resident Victoria Emon told the Westerly News the woman was her mother, Ann Wittenberg, and that the family was visiting Tofino for Emon乌鸦传媒檚 wedding, which was scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.
乌鸦传媒淪he came from Ottawa to be here乌鸦传媒he was so excited. Her and my sister were just floating talking about how much fun they were having and then they got sucked in,乌鸦传媒� Emon told the Westerly News.
乌鸦传媒淲e are so thankful to everyone who helped our mom乌鸦传媒hey prayed for my mom on the beach. They kept my sister warm and they risked their lives so that we could have my mom back. We are forever grateful. I乌鸦传媒檓 especially grateful for Ellen and her friend who kept my baby sister safe. That乌鸦传媒檚 all my mom would have wanted.乌鸦传媒�
She said she and her new husband went ahead with the wedding because, 乌鸦传媒淢om wanted us to.乌鸦传媒�
David Jensen was one of the bystanders who helped pull the woman from the ocean on Sunday morning and he is urging Tofino, Ucluelet and the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve to
Jensen a former local who now lives near Errington and visits the West Coast frequently to surf, told the Westerly News that he was out for a paddle off Long Beach when he heard someone in distress.
乌鸦传媒淚 heard somebody screaming, and not that fun kind of scream,乌鸦传媒� Jensen said adding he immediately began paddling towards where the sound came from around Lovekin Rock. 乌鸦传媒淚t was an obscured view because of the waves and I was a distance away乌鸦传媒 paddled close enough to see there was a couple surfer guys who were helping somebody that was lying face down in the water. At that time and tide, that place is a very dangerous spot so those guys had put themselves in harm乌鸦传媒檚 way to try to help this person.乌鸦传媒�
He said he made his way to the spot and helped the other two surfers trying to assist a woman who, he said, was unresponsive.
乌鸦传媒淭he only thing going through my mind at that point was that this was her last chance, with the three of us that were there乌鸦传媒e were trying our best; that乌鸦传媒檚 all I can say,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淲e tried to get her onto the board, fighting the waves. The waves just knocked us around and knocked us around. We couldn乌鸦传媒檛 get out of the break due to the current. That乌鸦传媒檚 just the nature of that spot.乌鸦传媒�
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He said it took roughly 15 minutes to get the woman onto the beach where a bystander performed CPR before paramedics arrived minutes later and transported the woman away in an ambulance.
Jensen said the incident could have been prevented if the surf guard tower that was torn down in 2012, was still in place. The surf guard program involved four lifeguards watching over Long Beach from the tower, located near Lovekin Rock, and it had been in place for roughly 40 years by the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve due to budget cuts in 2012.
Jensen said lifeguards would have immediately steered the surfer he helped try to rescue on Sunday away from Lovekin before the incident occurred.
乌鸦传媒淚f there was a manned lifeguard tower there, that would have never happened today. That would have been stopped before that critical situation,乌鸦传媒� he said.
He added there are signs at Long Beach乌鸦传媒檚 trail-heads warning surfers about the dangers of both Lovekin and Incinerator Rock, especially during low tide, but it routinely falls on seasoned surfers in the area to keep novice surfers who did not read the signs away from danger.
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乌鸦传媒淎 lot of times, like a day like today where it乌鸦传媒檚 only one-meter, it乌鸦传媒檚 usually tame, unless it乌鸦传媒檚 at low tide and what happens at low tide is it becomes a very dangerous place,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚ncinerator Rock and Lovekin Rock are, by far, the most dangerous places to surf for new people on this coast.乌鸦传媒�
A University of Victoria student .
Jensen said reviving the Park Reserve乌鸦传媒檚 surf guard program should be a top priority as the area乌鸦传媒檚 surfing popularity continues to skyrocket.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e seen the changes over the last 25 years out on the coast, going from two surf shops and a handful of surfers and old boys to just an explosion. The beach is packed with surfers. There乌鸦传媒檚 surf shops everywhere and all surf culture stuff. It乌鸦传媒檚 a huge part of the economy now,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 keeping food on the table for a lot of different people in a lot of different ways.乌鸦传媒�
He said Sunday乌鸦传媒檚 incident was preventable and that Tofino and Ucluelet乌鸦传媒檚 councils and businesses should collaborate with the Park Reserve to bring lifeguards back to the beach.
乌鸦传媒淚t would be beautiful if these towns could get together and be proactive with the Park and get this done. Because it乌鸦传媒檚 going to happen again,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淲hat I really want is for those two towns to be able to see this problem in black and white and just do something about it. Please. It乌鸦传媒檚 overdue.乌鸦传媒�
Two local surf instructors during an August 23 council meeting last year.
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