A dad-of-three was celebrating his 39th birthday with his young family when he was swept to his death by a huge wave on the Pacific coast.
Andrew (Drew) Machi, his wife Brandie and their three young children were on holiday in northern California when he died in the tragic incident.
Mr Machi was fishing on a beach near the seaside city of Trinidad when a so-called 'sneaker' coastal wave "grabbed him and threw him in the ocean".
Sneaker waves are large and powerful coastal waves that hit land suddenly and unexpectedly, catching people by surprise.
Mr Machi's 36-year-old wife jumped into the water in a desperate bid to save him, but he was about 15ft from shore and the pounding waves kept throwing her back into the rocks, a relative has said.
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It is believed Mr Machi, from Ione, California, hit his head on rocks after being hit by the wave at Luffenholtz Beach last Friday - his birthday - and was knocked unconscious.
The father's body was located a short time later by a rescue swimmer, hoisted into a Coast Guard helicopter and flown to hospital.
A GoFundMe set up by Mrs Machi's sister, Jamie Tracey, to cover funeral expenses has raised almost $46,000 (£35,000).
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Mrs Tracey wrote: "There has been a horrible tragedy.
"On Friday Brandie, Drew and the kids were on vacation at the ocean in Eureka. It was his birthday.
"Drew was fishing on the rocks and a wave grabbed him and threw him in the ocean.
"Brandie jumped in and tried to save him but he was about 15 feet out and the water was throwing her back into the rocks.
"She ran for help but he died. She is beside herself.
"She was alone with the kids for hours before any family arrived and now she’s back but won’t go home without him."
She added: "Coroner said he believes he hit his head on rocks and was knocked out.
"This whole tragedy has her a mess."
A private funeral for Mr Machi, who worked as a lineman for a gas and electric company, is being held on Saturday with a celebration of life planned next month, according to the GoFundMe page.
Coast Guard Commander Brendan Hilleary told the North Coast Journal: “The Coast Guard was first notified of the incident by multiple reporting parties near the scene at approximately 11.4am Friday, and immediately launched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from McKinleyville and a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat from the Coast Guard station in Samoa.
"The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office also dispatched a deputy to scene.”
He added: "The helicopter arrived at the incident within six minutes of takeoff, located the missing man in the water, hoisted and flew him directly to emergency medical care at Mad River hospital.”
Little is known about what causes sneaker waves.
Since 2005, more than two dozen people have been killed by sneaker waves in California and Oregon, Earth Magazine reported last year.
Warning signs are posted along many beaches on the US Pacific coast.
