Two women died Friday evening when they were clam digging in Pacific County, apparently swept away in the surf in separate incidents miles apart. Their bodies were recovered the next day.

One incident occurred near Grayland, and the second was on the Long Beach Peninsula. They were reported to Pacific County Sheriff’s 911 Communications Center within four minutes of each other.

The first call came in at 8:57 p.m. from the Oysterville beach approach north of Ocean Park on the Long Beach Peninsula. The victim was a 70-year-old Ocean Park woman named Jerri Lynn Reinke. Sheriff’s deputies and South Pacific County Technical Rescue responders were immediately sent to search the area. Preliminary information is that a responding Coast Guard helicopter was involved in a bird strike and was unable to proceed to the scene. The search was further hampered due to rough surf and inclement weather conditions, but the Coast Guard was later able to dispatch a ground search crew to the area to work with other responders from State Parks, Dept. of Wildlife, and Pacific County Fire District #1.

The second call came in at 9:01 p.m. The victim, 61-year-old Sharon Leseman from Toledo, had been digging clams with her husband near the Warrenton Cannery Road south of Grayland, when the two became separated earlier in the evening. Rescue personnel from several agencies were immediately sent to the scene and began searching the area.

“Both were clam digging with their spouses and said they were going to return to their vehicles,” said Pacific County Sheriff Chief Criminal Deputy Pat Matlock. “There were no witnesses, so it’s unclear if they had become disoriented or had a medical issue that led to their deaths. It’s very tragic any way you look at it,” said Matlock.

Reinke’s body was located at 5 p.m. Saturday near Westport. Leseman’s body was located between the Cranberry and Midway beach approaches in Pacific County at approximately 5:38 a.m. Saturday.

“These incidents serve as a tragic reminder that one must always be vigilant of the powerful surf and waves that are often present on our ocean beaches,” said Pacific County Sheriff Scott Johnson. “Always stay close to other clammers, bring a flashlight or lantern, a waterproof cell phone, and never turn your back on the surf as ‘sneaker waves’ can appear at any time.”