Feb. 26--The Los Angeles County coroner's office has identified the man who died late Wednesday when powerful waves swept him and three other people into the ocean along Redondo Beach.
One Nguyen, 36, of Westminster, Colo., was the man who died, said Lt. David Smith of the coroner's office.
Nguyen was hanging out with the others on a break wall before he was killed, fire officials said.
It is unclear what the group was doing on the wall at King Harbor, but shouts for help began about 11:13 p.m., said Division Chief Mark Winter of the Redondo Beach Fire Department. Fire officials believe strong waves pushed the group from the break wall into the sea, then back into calmer waters in the harbor.
A Harbor Patrol boat responded, and a rescue swimmer dove into the ocean to tend to two women and two men, who were found at the bottom of the break wall. The men and women were in serious condition, Winter said.
As the rescue swimmer worked to gather the group, strong surf pounded against the rocks and swept over the group, pushing them out to sea once again, he said.
A rescue boat eventually reached the rescue swimmer and the group and loaded them onto the boat.
The women and a man were taken to an area trauma center to be treated for various injuries. Nguyen was declared dead onshore.
Staff writer Veronica Rocha contributed to this story.
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