A woman who authorities said was sleeping on the beach in San Diego’s North County died on Monday after a piece of heavy machinery rolled over her. Emergency crews were called to an area near South Oceanside Harbor just after 10 a.m., confirming a Caterpillar wheel loader plowed into the unaccompanied, unidentified woman who died at the scene.
Police told KGTV that the wheel loader was at the beach as part of a dredging project at the harbor. They were being used to move dredge pipes to a staging area for future removal and noted such projects occur every few years.
The woman appeared to be in her late 40s or early 50s. It was not clear if she was in a work zone closed to the public when the accident occurred. Police blocked off the beach in the immediate area due to the fatality, which was witnessed by a city lifeguard, according to ABC 7. Police also said the woman had no identification and may have been homeless. The accident is under investigation.