Girl, 9, drowns on Oregon Coast

By KATU.com staff Published: Jul 5, 2011 at 9:01 AM PDT
Girl, 9, drowns on Oregon Coast
The Pacific Ocean washes ashore near Siletz Bay south of Lincoln City. The small beach section on the distant left is the Salishan Spit, where homes are built very near to sea level and are vulnerable to tsunamis. No homes were reported damage.

CAPE LOOKOUT, Ore. - A July Fourth family gathering at a popular Oregon Coast destination turned to tragedy Monday when a 9-year-old Portland girl drowned in the Pacific Ocean surf.

Investigators with the Oregon State Police said the girl was riding on a floatation device, described as an inflatable whale, with two other children when the trio was knocked into the surf by a wave.

As the children made their way to shore, they were reportedly hit by another wave and Angelica Fisher, 9, of Southeast Portland, slipped beneath the water's surface.

Family members scrambled into the water to find Angelica but she was not located for several minutes.

Two Oregon State Park Rangers began CPR and were soon joined by EMS paramedics but Angelica could not be revived and she was declared dead at 12:15 p.m. at the Tillamook County General Hospital.

The two other children with Angelica were able to make it back to shore. Investigators did not say if any of the children were wearing personal floatation vests. Their names and ages were not released.