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A 57-year-old woman was walking with her family on the sand at Monastery Beach on Feb. 28 when a wave dragged her into the ocean and she drowned. Linda June had been visiting the area as a tourist from Illinois. One-third of all of the aquatic deaths in Monterey County in 2014 happened at the beach, which is nicknamed "Mortuary Beach." VIDEO: Monterey County's most deadly beachCalifornia State Parks-Monterey District Superintendent Jim Bilz said it's the steepness of the beach in Carmel face that makes it the deadliest in Monterey County."What makes this particularly dangerous is the contour," Bilz said. "It's probably 30 feet that it very sharply goes down at an angle. The contour is created by the deep shelf off the coast here. It makes it particularly dangerous."Bilz said California State Parks weighed the possibility of putting a lifeguard at the beach. The hiring of a lifeguard would cost about $250,000 per year.Bilz said the parks system does not have the funding to support it."Unfortunately, we don't have anymore staffing, so therefore this is going to present a problem for the peninsula residents and for tourism, so we need more staffing," Bilz said.Visitors to the beach enjoyed sunshine and blue skies Friday. Locals who spoke to KSBW said they were aware of the dangers, while tourists were dumbfounded."We had no idea whatsoever," British tourist Graham Hawkins said. "We've actually been washed by the waves. The children have been playing. The baby has been paddling by the waves. Now, we are a little bit concerned."It's an infamous beach to many locals that is known for its steep beach face and strong undertow.The steep beach face paired with unpredictable weather conditions makes it easy for a big wave to knock people down and suck them into the deep water."You could be out here and thinking that you're in a dry, safe position in the beach, but when that set comes in from anywhere between two and six waves, it generates a lot of energy and a lot of water coming up," Bilz said.There are currently only three lifeguards patrolling all the state beaches in Monterey County which covers 30 miles of coastline.