The body of a 7-year-old girl was recovered Sunday from the Pacific Ocean off California, bringing sad closure to a family swept away by a rogue wave off Big Sur two days earlier.
The girl’s father also drowned trying to save her in the incident, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) said in a statement. Authorities later identified him as 39-year-old Yuji Hu, of Calgary, Alberta.
Hu and his family had been walking along Garrapata State Beach off Highway 1 at about 12:50 p.m. Friday when a 15- to 20-foot-wave snatched the girl, the MCSO said. He grabbed his daughter’s hand and was pulled in along with her. The mother held onto them both and was also pulled in.
“As Hu reached for his daughter, both were pulled farther into the ocean,” the MCSO said. “The child’s mother attempted to assist but was also swept into the water. She was ultimately able to make it back to shore. A 2-year-old child who was present was unharmed.”
An off-duty lifeguard saw them struggling, pulled Hu from the water with the help of a beachgoer, and began CPR, the sheriff’s office said.
The parents were taken to a hospital by ambulance, where the mother was treated for mild hypothermia and later released, and Hu was pronounced dead. The MCSO then led a massive, two-day, multi-agency search for the girl.
A diver found her at 1:20 p.m. Sunday about 100 yards offshore, a half mile north of where she’d last been seen, the sheriff’s office said in an evening update. Authorities cautioned people on the beach to be vigilant.
“The storm that passed through created a large swell that generated very big waves here at Garrapata State Beach,” California State Parks chief ranger Mike Dippel told KSBW-TV and ABC News. “This beach is notorious for large waves and tidal influx, which can come in quickly.”
“This area of coastline is extremely dangerous, and the public is always advised to approach the beach with caution and utmost respect,” the California State Lifeguards and related agencies said in a statement on Instagram.
“The family has expressed their gratitude to all agencies, personnel, and community members involved in the search and recovery efforts,” the MCSO said. “They continue to request privacy and do not wish to make further statements at this time.”
