At least one dead as California reels from crushing waves

Violent, storm-fueled waves that collapsed a portion of the Santa Cruz Wharf are additionally being blamed for the demise of a person who was discovered pinned beneath particles on a stretch of Monterey Bay shoreline, in addition to the disappearance of one other man.

Emergency crews have been referred to as to Sundown State Seaside at 11:30 a.m. Monday to help a person who was reported trapped beneath particles amid excessive surf. The person was freed and brought to a hospital the place he was pronounced useless, in response to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Workplace. His id is being withheld till his household is notified.

In the meantime, about 15 miles farther down the coast, harmful situations compelled authorities to name off a seek for a man who was swept into the ocean at Marina State Seaside round midday, in response to the Marina Police Division. The 2 incidents are usually not believed to be associated, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.

Bystanders at Marina State Seaside reported {that a} man was overcome by excessive surf and pulled out to sea, police mentioned. They have been unable to assist him due to the massive waves and powerful present.

First responders didn’t see the lacking man after they arrived on the seashore. They started their search round 300 yards north of Dunes Drive, the place the person entered the ocean.

The U.S. Coast Guard and California Freeway Patrol searched by air and by sea, however have been additionally unable to seek out the person. At 2 p.m., the search was deemed too harmful to proceed attributable to worsening climate situations. The lacking man’s id was not launched by police.

On Monday, the Nationwide Climate Service issued a high surf warning for California’s northern coast — together with Santa Cruz, Level Reyes, San Francisco and northern Monterey Bay — and urged individuals to keep away from seashores attributable to life-threatening situations till 6 p.m. Tuesday.

“Massive waves can sweep throughout the seashore with out warning, pulling individuals into the ocean from rocks, jetties and seashores,” the climate service mentioned. “Sudden immersion in chilly water may end up in chilly water shock even for probably the most skilled swimmers.”

The pounding surf additionally precipitated greater than 100 toes of the Santa Cruz Wharf to collapse Monday afternoon, tossing a metropolis worker and two contractors into the chilly ocean, metropolis officers mentioned throughout a information convention.

Two of them have been rescued by lifeguards within the space, and the third was in a position to get to security on their very own. The employees had been despatched to the pier to evaluate its stability, metropolis officers mentioned.

The highly effective surf is the results of a sequence of atmospheric river occasions which can be bringing heavy rain to Northern California, Oregon and Washington state.

Occasions employees author Salvador Hernandez contributed to this report.