UPDATE: 4 p.m. — MCSO has recovered human remains in the search area, but the decedent has not yet been identified.
MENDOCINO Co., 1/8/24 — This afternoon authorities are attempting to recover the remains of a woman believed to have drowned north of Westport this weekend. Rebecca Jones, 48, was last seen around 11:30 a.m. Friday near a campsite roughly 200 yards from the ocean. Her clothing was found Saturday, along with a body trapped in a rocky area along the shore — but hazardous surf prevented recovery of the body.
“Personnel are on site now assessing the surf conditions, and if all is safe then a recovery attempt will be made around 3 p.m. during low tide,” Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Greg Van Patten wrote in an email today.
“The body is unidentified at this time, but speculation is that the body is that of Jones,” MCSO said in a Facebook post Saturday morning.
Weather forecasts called for waves from six to 15 feet this week, according to the National Weather Service office in Eureka, still presenting a significant risk to first responders working to recover the body. Waves up to 20 feet were forecast on Friday.
