A 24-year-old woman remains missing after a rising tide trapped her and three friends near a keyhole-shaped opening along the California coast, authorities said.
The group was walking through the opening at Panther State Beach in Santa Cruz on Sunday evening when the incoming water cut off their route back to shore.
Three of the friends managed to escape. Senah Park apparently did not.
CAL FIRE CZU firefighters arrived at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, and began a search using ground crews, drones and helicopters, according to a news release.
“Four people had gone through the keyhole on the beach and when the tide rose, they became trapped,” CAL FIRE CZU said in its post. “Three people were able to escape the rising tide. One person, described as a woman in her twenties, was not able to escape and was believed to have been swept out to sea.”
The U.S. Coast Guard joined the search on Monday, Nov. 9.
Park’s friends reported her missing, SFGATE reported, citing a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office.
Another person in the group sustained injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Park was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and denim skirt at the beach off Highway 1 near Davenport, roughly nine miles north of Santa Cruz.
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Her disappearance occurred as officials warned of dangerous surf along the coastline.
Forecasters cautioned beachgoers about powerful rip currents, sneaker waves and large breakers capable of creating hazardous conditions.
The National Weather Service said Monday that waves breaking on exposed beaches could reach 12 to 16 feet, with some locations seeing waves as high as 18 feet. Higher-than-normal tides were also expected to strengthen ocean currents.
Authorities had not determined by Monday whether those conditions swept Park out to sea.
The scenic stretch of shoreline has been the site of several emergencies this year.
In September, rescuers pulled two people from the ocean after they fell into the water while fishing, according to the Mercury News.
A woman drowned in June after she and another person were swept into the ocean near a keyhole opening in the cliffs, the outlet reported.
In May, rising water trapped eight people inside a beach cave before rescuers brought them to safety.
Anyone with information about Park’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Coast Guard at 800-246-7236 or the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office at 831-471-1121.