One woman is dead and another is in critical condition after they were swept out to sea by a powerful tide in Santa Cruz this week amid hazardous ocean conditions that forecasters warn will continue across the California coastline this weekend, authorities said.
The victim, whose identity has not been released, was the second to die in the state as tropical storms in the Pacific Ocean send a powerful south swell to California.
The body of missing 5-year-old Amada Mia Brown of San Bernardino was recovered in Laguna Beach on Thursday — two days after she vanished in high surf.
On Wednesday, the Santa Cruz County Fire Department responded for an ocean rescue near Yellow Bank Beach, where eight rescue swimmers had pulled two women believed to be in their 20s out of the ocean, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.
One woman was taken off of the beach and up to the bluffs via helicopter, while a second woman was carried up in a Stokes basket, according to county Fire Capt. Kyle Breton. Crews believe the women were sleeping when they were caught off guard by the quickly rising tide and dragged into the ocean, he said.
They were both taken to local hospitals, where one was pronounced dead and the second remained in critical condition Friday, according to a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson.
In Newport Beach, this week’s swell has brought historic 20-foot waves to the Wedge and triggered more than 100 lifeguard rescues.
While wave size peaked Wednesday, a beach hazard statement is in effect across Southern California through Monday evening, with forecasters warning of dangerous rip currents and elevated surf of 3 to 6 feet, according to the National Weather Service.
During this period, there is an increased risk of drowning, as waves can wash people off beaches and capsize small boats. Minor coastal flooding is also possible in low-lying areas, as high astronomical tides of 7.5 to 7.9 feet are expected each evening through Monday, according to the weather service.
Lifeguards are continuing to warn people to be vigilant while visiting local beaches. Even expert surfers have encountered scary situations during the swell.
Surfer Hunter Jones narrowly avoided slamming into the Malibu Pier after bailing from a massive wave earlier this week. His board did not survive and smashed into the pier’s pylons. Surfboard shaper Timmy Patterson told the Orange County Register he survived a near-death experience after being caught inside a set of up to 20-foot waves at a remote break off Dana Point.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Carol Ciliberti said this is likely not the last powerful south swell Californians can expect to see this summer. The upcoming El Niño cycle is expected to lead to a “significantly more active” hurricane season in the Pacific, sending large surf toward the Golden State, she said.
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