1 dead, 2 missing as Northern California coastline hit by large waves
One person died on a Santa Cruz County beach and another was missing in Monterey County on Monday after huge waves hit the Northern California coastline under a high surf warning.
Santa Cruz County officials said California State Parks and fire crews responded to Sunset State Beach around 11:30 a.m. for reports of a man trapped under debris.
Debris carried away by high waves trapped the man, the county said. He was rescued and taken to hospital, where he later died.
death is coming After the National Weather Service issued a high wave warning The ban remains in effect for San Francisco, the North Bay Coast (including Reyes National Seashore), the Peninsula Coast, Monterey Bay and the Big Sur Coast as of noon Tuesday. Waves of 30 to 35 feet are expected along the coast.
At about 12:45 noon, large waves also hit the Santa Cruz Pier. leading to partial dock collapsed and sent three people into the water.
Lifeguards pulled two of the three construction workers from the water, while the third man climbed out of the waves alone.
At Marina State Beach, about 30 minutes south of Sunset State Beach, a man was missing after being swept into the water by a large wave around noon. Marina police said people in the area tried to help, but huge waves and strong currents hampered their rescue efforts.
Rescue crews went to where the man fell into the water near Dune Boulevard but were unable to obtain “visual confirmation.” U.S. Coast Guard and California Highway Patrol air units participated in the search, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
Marina police said the search and rescue operation was called off at 2pm due to deteriorating conditions and danger to the crew.
Police did not release the man’s identity.
Another person went missing at Pebble Beach, south of Monterey. Cal Fire said crews responded to the Great Ocean Road at Pebble Beach after reports of a person being pulled from rocks into the water.
The search began immediately but was later suspended due to water conditions. The Coast Guard will launch a rescue search once conditions improve in the coming days, according to Cal Fire.
In the North Bay, the Sonoma County Fire Protection District said three people were rescued after being overtaken by waves. The fire district said they were swept off the edge of Scotty’s Creek around 12:30 p.m.
One of them was found stuck to a rock. Two other people were rescued after being swept upriver by waves. Two people were taken to the hospital and one was released at the scene, the fire district said.
