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On Saturday, a treacherous surf along California’s Central Coast swept three individuals into the ocean near Big Sur, marking the second consecutive weekend of hazardous conditions in the area.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office announced that the mission to locate the missing man has transitioned to a recovery effort. This change occurred after a Coast Guard helicopter briefly spotted a body in the turbulent waters near Soberanes Point, but lost sight of it due to the rough seas.
Authorities reported that four adults were present at the rocky location north of Garrapata Beach when, for reasons still unclear, two women and a man were carried away by the afternoon waves.
The women were successfully rescued and transported to a hospital, though their current conditions remain undisclosed. The missing man, believed to be in his 30s, was last seen wearing a white turban, black shorts, a black shirt, and a black vest.
The emergency call was made around 3 p.m. on Saturday, and shortly before 4:30 p.m., a Coast Guard team spotted a body approximately 100 meters from the shore, but lost visual contact due to the challenging surf conditions.
Search teams suspended operations at nightfall due to lack of light.
The incident took place barely a week after a Calgary father and his 7-year-old daughter were killed by powerful surf at Garrapata Beach.
Authorities identified the girl as Anzi Hu. Her father, 39-year-old Yuji Hu, died after running into the water to try to save her.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said a tourist and an off-duty lifeguard rushed in when they saw the family struggling in the waves during Friday’s high-surf conditions.
Rosas, a public information officer with the sheriff’s office, said Yuji was swept away while attempting to pull his daughter back to shore.
The tourist and lifeguard recovered him and attempted CPR. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
The child’s mother was treated for mild hypothermia and released. A 2-year-old sibling who was on the beach was unharmed.
A massive search for Anzi continued from Friday afternoon through Sunday. The effort drew in deputies, state parks rangers, the US Coast Guard, California Highway Patrol air support and volunteers from search-and-rescue teams.