California rescuers are still searching for the body of a 30-year-old man who was swept out to sea by a large wave near Big Sur just days after a similar wave did the same to a little girl visiting from Canada.
On Saturday, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office received a call reporting that a man had been swept into the ocean near Soberanes Point on Garapata State Beach. The spot where he was taken is only half a mile from where the 7-year-old girl was dragged into the ocean on November 14, ABC 7 reports.
In that incident, the girl's father, Yuji Hu, attempted to swim out to rescue her, but was overcome by the ocean and died. The girl's body was found two days later.
Around 4:30 pm on Saturday, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter spotted the 30-year-old man's body floating approximately 300 feet offshore, but lost track of it in the ocean. They were unable to recover it at that time, according to Commander Andres Rosas of the sheriff's department.
Rosas said the man was visiting the beach with three others on the day he disappeared. The man and two women with him were reportedly standing on rocks near the shoreline when a large wave hit and pulled them away from the shore, according to a California State Parks press release.
The women were able to swim back to the beach.
"The two women were able to self-rescue and were taken by ambulance to a hospital with unknown injuries," CSP said in a statement.
The man is described as a South Asian man last seen wearing a white turban, black shorts, a black shirt, and a black vest. His name has not been released.
Search efforts resumed on Sunday and included members of the sheriff's search and rescue unit, Cal Fire, the CSP, the California Highway Patrol, a Coast Guard vessel and helicopter, and drones, Rosas said.
The National Weather Service issued warnings over the last week that beachgoers in the area should be aware of "sneaker waves" — large waves that can unexpectedly hit much higher up the shoreline.
"The water can look safe and then that one sneaker wave or rogue wave can come in and that's the one that catches people off guard," Rosas said.
According to the NWS, the waves near Big Sur were between 8 and 10 feet high on Saturday afternoon. A beach hazard statement estimated that waves could reach between 13 to 18 feet through Monday.
Yellow warning signs at the beach warn visitors that unexpected, extremely dangerous waves and currents are possible in the area. Swimming, climbing on rocks, and wading along the shoreline are not safe at the site.
