An eight-year-old boy and a 39-year-old man died after authorities tried to rescue them off the coast of Cowell Ranch State Beach, near Half Moon Bay, California.
The shocking tragedy happened just after 3pm on Sunday. Rescuers and park rangers initially responded to the emergency.
The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner's office identified the eight-year-old boy as Vihaan Mukund and the 39-year-old as Mukund Kalyanaraman Murali. They were both from San Jose.
After taking the two to a Harbor Patrol vessel, Coastside Fire, the U.S. Coast Guard, Pillar Point Harbor Patrol and the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office responded to assist the drowning victims.
The boy was then airlifted to a nearby hospital, while the man was transported by ambulance. They were pronounced dead at the hospital.
Jorge Moreno, a spokesman for California State Parks, said in a statement to the press that the two received “lifesaving efforts.”
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family for this devastating loss,” Moreno added.
Chip Pickard, chief of the Cal Fire Battalion, told the local Fox affiliate, KTVU News, that the child was swept away in the strong current and the adult chased him.
“It was a coordinated effort to save them,” Pickard added.
Multiple authorities responded to help drowning victims near Half Moon Bay
Cowell Ranch State Beach is located just south of Half Moon Bay
Due to the dangerous currents, a sneaker wave warning was put in place until Monday at 7 p.m.
Sneaker waves flow inland and consist of several smaller waves. There is a delayed response, so beachgoers may not feel the impact of the waves for at least 10 minutes.
Because they consist of hard, small waves, the water may not look dangerous from shore, increasing the danger to beachgoers.
In 2021, a 12-year-old boy was swept up in a sneaker wave off the coast of San Mateo County near Cowell Ranch.
Arunay Pruthi was dragged under the current while swimming with his 8-year-old brother. Their parents struggled to save them.
Authorities searched the coast of Half Moon Bay but were unable to find Arunay. His parents Sharmistha and Tarun told KTVU they knew nothing about the dangers of sneaker waves.
His parents told the San Francisco Chronicle that they were setting up a tent when Arunay and his brother Siddhant started feeling the water. A deceptive sneaker wave pulled them underwater in a split second.
Sharmistha and Tarun ran after their sons but also got caught in the cruel waves. Families on the beach linked arms and were able to take the parents and Siddhant to the shore.
They saw Arunay's head bobbing above the water as the current pulled him further and further from shore.
A family friend, Sanjeev Kulkarni, also tried to retrieve Arunay but dislocated his shoulder due to the monstrous waves.
An ambulance transported the man to a hospital while the boy was airlifted
Chip Pickard told local news that the adult entered after the boy was swept away by a wave
California beaches can be deceptively dangerous, especially for small children
The family called 911 in distress and a dispatcher sent a patrol boat from Pillar Point Harbor to the scene. The coast guard mobilized, but after two hours authorities urged the Pruthis to go home.
After 5 p.m., the Coast Guard called off the search, but his family never gave up. They recruited volunteers and hired helicopters to search for Arunay. They never found his body.
His death marked a deadly two-month period in which seven people died off the coast of Cowell Ranch. The death toll included a four-year-old girl and a family of three, the youngest of whom was also four years old.
The sneaker waves off the coast of Cowell Ranch are deadly and difficult to predict due to their small size.
