The body of a girl who was swept into the Pacific Ocean amid high surf was discovered off the Central California coast on Sunday. The recovery site was in proximity to where her father attempted to rescue her before both were pulled away from the shoreline.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office reported that a diver found the girl’s body shortly after 1 p.m., approximately 100 yards offshore and half a mile north of where she was last seen. The office confirmed that the girl is 7 years old, correcting an earlier report that stated she was 5. Her identity has not been released.
Incident Details
The incident occurred shortly before 1 p.m. on Friday when a wave pulled the girl from Garrapata State Beach, located about 12 miles south of Carmel-by-the-Sea. At that time, surf conditions were estimated to be between 15 and 20 feet.
Her father, Yuji Hu, 39, of Calgary, entered the water to attempt a rescue but was also swept out to sea, according to authorities. An off-duty California State Parks lifeguard later rescued Hu from the water and administered CPR before he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The girl’s mother, whose name has not been disclosed, also entered the water to assist but managed to return to the shore with help from the lifeguard. She received treatment for mild hypothermia in a hospital and has since been released.
A 2-year-old child who was with the family was reported to be uninjured.
The family expressed gratitude to all agencies, personnel, and community members involved in the search and recovery efforts, as noted by the sheriff’s office.
Storm-Related Incident
In an unrelated storm-related incident, a 71-year-old man in Sutter County died when his vehicle was swept away by overflowing stormwater along Pleasant Grove Creek on Friday afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Authorities confirmed that warning signs indicating the road was flooded had been posted in the area prior to the incident.
The tumultuous sea conditions along the Central Coast were attributed to a winter-pattern storm that impacted California over the weekend. The National Weather Service had issued warnings for beachgoers regarding potentially dangerous surf conditions, including “sneaker waves” that could unexpectedly strike dry sand.
This storm, which moved eastward on Sunday, caused flooding on some streets in Southern California, resulted in multiple vehicle collisions, and produced over 12 inches of precipitation at San Marcos Pass in Santa Barbara County. According to the National Weather Service, Santa Barbara County experienced nearly half of its average annual rainfall of 17 inches due to the storm over the weekend.
