Authorities have identified a woman who died after a kayaking accident in Tomales Bay last month as Brigitte Manspeaker, according to the Sonoma County coroner’s office and a fundraising campaign created in her memory.
Manspeaker died March 21 after a kayak overturned in rough conditions on the bay. Rescuers responded after receiving reports of two people in the water. A Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office helicopter arrived about 12 minutes after being requested by the Marin County Fire Department.
The helicopter crew located a man clinging to the overturned kayak with a dog amid strong winds and swells of about 3 feet. The man, suffering from cold exposure, was lifted to shore using a rescue line.
The man told officers that Manspeaker had slipped out of her personal flotation device. The aerial crew spotted her drifting a few hundred yards from the kayak, and rescuers brought her to shore.
She was flown to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead at 7:54 p.m., according to the Sonoma County coroner’s office.
Family and friends have since launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover memorial expenses and honor Manspeaker’s life. The fundraising page describes her as someone who loved nature and advocated for Indigenous women worldwide.
Organizers say the funds, which totaled more than $38,000 as of Wednesday, will help give her “a farewell that reflects the beauty, friendship and love she brought into this world.”
