PACIFICA, Calif. — A Northern California fisherwoman says she feels fortunate to have survived after a sneaker wave swept her into the ocean this week amid hazardous surf conditions.
Bae Cadotte had been fishing on the beach just south of Pacifica Pier when the sudden wave came ashore.
“It felt like I was tumbling in a washing machine,” Cadotte recalled.
The 47-year-old said the entire ordeal unfolded within seconds.
“It just swallowed me,” she said. “I knew at that point she came — I was going in. She’s going to get me. No way I’m getting out of this.”
A webcam recorded Tuesday’s incident, showing Cadotte struck by the wave before being pulled into the churning surf. Even in the confusion, she said she focused on staying calm.
“So I just went with it,” Cadotte said. “I didn’t try to fight it — there’s no point in fighting a sneaker wave.”
Cadotte believes she was carried about 30 feet offshore and said she feared she might not make it back alive.
“I closed my eyes, I said a prayer- God, if this is your will, I understand, but please don’t let me leave my son,” she said.
After several minutes in the water, Cadotte resurfaced. Fellow anglers nearby rushed to help, throwing a rope and pulling her back to shore.
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“Thanks for risking your life to save mine,” she told them afterward.
First responders arrived shortly after and transported Cadotte to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, where she was treated for hypothermia.
She is now recovering at home.
Her close call comes during a week of hazardous coastal conditions.
A beach hazard statement has been in effect across much of the Bay Area, warning of large swells and the risk of sneaker waves.
Similar rescues have been reported in recent days.
A mother and daughter were pulled into the surf at Baker Beach in San Francisco on Thursday but were rescued.
Last week, two Bay Area college students died after being swept into the ocean in Santa Cruz.
The San Francisco Fire Department is urging beachgoers to stay alert. “Never turn your back on the ocean,” the department said in a social media post.
Now recovering and spending time with her son, Cadotte hopes her experience serves as a warning. “Just be safe out there,” she said. “Not a lot of people know about rip currents.”
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