Bekeley woman drowned trying to rescue dog

The body of a missing 42-year-old Berkeley woman who was swept off Gualala Beach by a wave on Saturday was discovered early Monday morning.

Molly Keane was dragged into the ocean by a large wave as she attempted to rescue her dog from the frigid surf.

Authorities believe she drowned, and the Sonoma County Coroner?s office is conducting an investigation to confirm the cause of death.

Witnesses in Gualala reported seeing Keane disappear about noon into the 10-foot high swells off Gualala Point Regional Park just south of the Sonoma-Mendocino County line. A bystander out for a walk called 911 after he saw her chase her dog into the 52-degree water, according to the U.S Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard, Sonoma County Sheriff?s Department and state Department of Forestry launched an extensive search. Rescue teams conducted six searches of the area by boat and helicopter.

But the search was called off when her body was not located by Sunday.

The body of the dog that she tried to rescue washed up on the beach on Saturday.

She was the second person in five weeks to be swept off the Sonoma Coast while trying to rescue a dog.

On Jan. 12, 19-year-old Ann Madden of Petaluma and her fiance had walked down from the overlook at Portuguese Beach north of Bodega Bay with their two dogs in tow.

Large waves engulfed the two animals and when Madden went in to rescue them, she was caught in the surf and drowned.

It was the third drowning at Portuguese Beach since 1987.

Also Saturday, 27-year-old Christopher Partridge of Monterey was swept off rocks by a rogue wave in Monterey just after midnight. A Coast Guard search for him was suspended after 12 hours.

Authorities warn people to always keep their eye on the ocean and watch for abnormally large waves ? often referred to as sleeper waves or rogue waves. These freak waves often roll in with a set of average size waves that give people a false sense of safety. A rogue wave rises up out of the ocean quickly with unusual size and strength, and can easily knock down people and animals and drag them out into the ocean.

You can reach Staff Writer Nathan Halverson at 521-5494 or nathan.halverson@pressdemocrat.com.