A “rogue wave” swept two 67-year-old twin sisters out to sea, drowning them, during a vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in October.
Beverly Ann Skripsky from Scottsdale, Ariz., and Barbara Jo Thomas from McKinney, Texas, were taking a morning walk along the beach on the third day of what was supposed to be a week-long vacation when a 15-foot wave suddenly appeared and washed them out to sea.
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“You had two wonderful people just walking on the beach and full of life a couple hours before that, and they’re now gone,” Barbara’s husband, Steve Thomas told NBC-5 Chicago.
Thomas says the last time he saw his wife alive, she was asking him to go on a walk with her and her sister.
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“My last memory was, ‘Come with us and go on the walk,’” Thomas said. “And I didn’t go. I literally watched her walk out the door and she wanted me to go with her.”
After the sisters didn’t return, Thomas and his family alerted authorities and went looking for them. He said the family found one of their sandals and he had a bad feeling immediately.
“We found one of their sandals, and when we found the sandal, it was like my head told me they were gone, but my heart hoped against hope,” he said.
“I can’t imagine how fast it was moving, but it went from 10 feet to 15 feet in seconds,” Thomas said. “They found two women out at sea and I’m thinking, ‘Great — they found them,’ and I say, ‘Are they OK?’ and he says, ‘I’m sorry to tell you, sir, but they’re deceased.’”
The National Ocean Service says rogue waves are greater than twice the size of surrounding waves and come unexpectedly from directions other than prevailing wind and waves.
The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico issued a warning regarding dangerous wave conditions like strong currents, rip tides and rogue waves in the coastal areas of Baja California Sur, to include Cabo San Lucas.
“Not all hazardous beaches in this area are clearly marked,” the warning reads. “Swimmers, waders and even people simply walking along the beaches have been washed into the ocean by rogue waves. Some have drowned and others have disappeared.”
Thomas experienced the nature of the wave firsthand.
“[The wave] went up five feet every second, from five feet to 20 feet, and I was literally just looking at a wall of water,” Thomas said.
The Thomases had been married for 45 years. The twin sisters were both retired and enjoyed traveling together and taking joint vacations. Their obituary described them as “lifelong best friends.”
“They will both be truly missed by all who knew their friendly smiles, warm personalities, and kind unwavering spirit to help anyone in need,” the obituary read.
Thomas hopes the unfortunate deaths of his sister and sister-in-law will help save lives.
“There are certain beaches there that are killer beaches,” he said. “If you’re out on the beach or in the ocean, you need to be very, very cautious of what’s going on around you.”
