Rough surf off the coast of Big Sur swept three people into the ocean Saturday afternoon, and while two women survived, a male companion remained missing late Saturday, according to local reports.
The harrowing incident off Soberanes Point comes a week after a father and his 7-year-old daughter were killed in rough waters three miles farther north off Big Sur’s Garrapata Beach.
A search operation for the missing man was under way Saturday.
“At around 4:24, a Coast Guard helicopter spotted what appeared to be a body in the ocean but, due to the high surf, lost visual,” the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department told KSBW News. “Because of this and other factors, this has now turned into a search-and-recovery mission.”
Sheriff’s deputies did not immediately return calls from the Bay Area News Group Saturday seeking more information. A receptionist there said she could only confirm “the incident.”
Earlier Saturday, the National Weather Service had issued a “beach hazards” warning, with breaking waves expecting to reach 13 to 18 feet from Big Sur to Point Reyes north of San Francisco.
“Sneaker waves can unexpectedly run significantly farther up the beach than normal, including over rocks and jetties,” the weather service statement issued at noon said. The hazardous conditions, caused by a “long period northwesterly swell” were expected to linger through Monday.
The two survivors were taken to a local hospital in an unknown condition.
The missing man was of Indian descent, a sheriff’s spokesman told the TV station, and was wearing a white turban, black shorts, a black shirt, and a black vest.
On Nov. 14, 39-year-old Yuji Hu of Calgary, Alberta, died after trying to save his 7-year-old daughter who was swept into the ocean at Garrapata State Beach. The child’s mother, attempting to reach her husband and daughter, was also pulled into the surf, but managed to get back to the beach and return to her 2-year-old child. The body of the 7-year-old was recovered by a search diver two days later.