Woman Swept Out To Sea Drowns Near Shelter Cove

EUREKA (CBS/AP) -- The Coast Guard said a woman was swept out to sea by a large wave and drowned while walking with a friend and her dog on a Northern California beach.

Rescuers in a helicopter spotted the 32-year-old woman's body not long after the wave overtook her Sunday at the beach near Shelter Cove in Humboldt County.

So-called "sneaker waves" have washed four people into the region's waters this winter.

A man and his wife were walking on the beach near Point Reyes on New Year's Day when a wave overtook their dog. The couple went into the water to rescue the dog and the man was swept away.

In November, three family members drowned in roiling surf while trying to save their dog at a beach near Arcata in Humboldt County.

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