Photo: California State Parks
California State Parks announced Saturday night that they were working with Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, CAL FIRE, and the U.S. Coast Guard to search for a man swept into the ocean at Garrapata State Park. They say the man was one of three people originally swept off the rocks at Soberanes Point, with two women surviving after they were able to pull themselves out of the water and taken to the hospital with unknown injuries.
At around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, nearly 90 minutes into their search, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter spotted what appeared to be a body in the ocean, but they lost sight due to high surf. Divers with the U.S. Coast Guard were also unable to recover the body as rescue teams continued until about 7 p.m. Saturday.
“This incident comes just a week after a 39-year-old father and his 7-year-old daughter, visiting from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, died after being swept into the ocean by 15-to-20-foot waves, at the same park,” wrote California State Parks, reminding the public of the constant threats of such incidents in high surf. There is still a beach hazards warning in the area with “breaking waves of 13 to 18 feet.”
California State Parks hadn’t provided any updates on its search efforts as of Monday morning. The missing mas was described as approximately 30-years old, wearing a white turban with black clothes, however officials have not released his identity.
