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A search for a man swept into the Pacific Ocean at Garrapata State Park in Monterey County, California, continued into its second day on Sunday (November 23). The incident occurred just days after a father and his seven-year-old daughter died under similar circumstances at the same location.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office reported that the man, believed to be about 30 years old, was among three people swept off the rocks at Soberanes Point on Saturday (November 22) around 3pm. Two women managed to return to shore and were taken to a hospital with unknown injuries, but the man remained missing.
A large-scale search operation was launched, involving multiple agencies including California State Parks, CalFire, the California Highway Patrol, the Monterey County Sheriff's Search and Rescue team, and the U.S. Coast Guard. A Coast Guard helicopter spotted a body in the ocean around 4:24 p.m. but lost visual contact due to high surf.
The search was temporarily suspended Saturday evening due to darkness but resumed Sunday morning. The missing man was last seen wearing a white turban, black shirt, black shorts, and a black vest-style jacket, according to ABC7 News.
This tragic event follows the deaths of Yuji Hu and his daughter, who were pulled into the ocean by 15 to 20-foot waves on November 14. Hu died after attempting to save his daughter, whose body was found two days later.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office has issued a beach hazards warning, urging the public to stay away from rocks and the water's edge due to unpredictable and dangerous waves.