Photo: Monterey County Sherriff’s Office // Facebook
A Canadian man and his seven-year-old daughter are dead after being swept into the Pacific Ocean this weekend. The tragedy occurred during a bout of extreme weather in California, which caused 15- to 20-foot waves and 70 mph winds along the coast.
The incident occurred on Friday, near Big Sur in Central California, as the LA Times reports. According to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, 39-year-old Yuji Hu of Calgary, Alberta was visiting Garrapata State Beach with his wife and two children. Shortly before 1 p.m., an approximately 20-foot wave pulled one of the children into the ocean. In response, Hu and his wife attempted to save the girl and were themselves pulled into the water.
Hu was eventually pulled from the water by another beachgoer and an off-duty California State Parks lifeguard. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The Sheriff’s Office, California State Parks, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard carried out a large-scale search effort for the daughter. Around 1:20 p.m. on Sunday, a diver found her body approximately 300 feet from shore and about a half-mile north of her last known location.
The mother was able to make it back to shore, where she was transported to a local hospital and treated for mild hypothermia. The other child, a 2-year-old, was unharmed.
“The family has expressed their gratitude to all agencies, personnel and community members involved in the search and recovery efforts,” wrote the Sheriff’s Office. “They continue to request privacy and do not wish to make further statements at this time.”
