Garrapata State Beach: Dad and daughter, 7, dead after large wave pulls them into ocean in Monterey County
A 39-year-old father and his 7-year-old daughter were found dead after a large wave pulled them into the ocean in Monterey County, California, authorities said.
On Sunday afternoon, a diver located the body of the young girl roughly 100 yards offshore and about half a mile north of the child’s last known location. The diver brought the child to shore and notified State Parks.
Monterey County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue assisted with the recovery. A 15-to-20-foot-high wave swept the little girl and her father into the Pacific Ocean just before 1 p.m. Friday near the Rocky Point Restaurant, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said.
The father was identified as Yuji Hu, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the sheriff's office said. When the mother tried to reach out to the girl and the father, the mother was also swept into the water, authorities said.
While the father held onto the 7-year-old, the mother made it back to shore, joining a 2-year-old who wasn't hurt, authorities said. The father was rescued from the ocean and given CPR, authorities said. He was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead, according to the sheriff's office.
The mother was hospitalized in stable condition with mild hypothermia, the sheriff's office said.