Search and recovery enters day 2 for man swept into ocean
By Jacquelyn Quinones
Click here for updates on this story
MONTEREY COUNTY, California (KSBW) — Rescue crews returned to Soberanes Point at first light Sunday for day two of search-and-recovery efforts for a man who was swept off the rocks into the ocean.
According to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened near Soberanes Point. A party of four adults—two men and two women—was in the area, and three of them were swept into the ocean from the rocks.
The two women got themselves out and were treated at the hospital for minor injuries.
The man has not yet been located. A Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said the missing man is of about 30 years of age, of Indian descent and was wearing a white turban, black shorts, a black shirt, and a black vest.
At around 4:24 on Saturday, a Coast Guard helicopter spotted what appeared to be a body in the ocean but, due to the high surf, lost visual. Because of this and other factors, this has now turned into a search-and-recovery mission.
Multiple agencies are involved, but officials say rough conditions are hampering efforts.
A private diver with Angels Recovery Dive Team, previously involved in locating 7-year-old Anzie Hu, arrived to assist but said deputies asked him to hold off diving while the official search continues.
“I have to be mentally prepared to do a search, but on the way here, I decided I’m going to jump and do the recovery. We just got to the place, and the sheriff’s department is doing the search right now, so their asking not to do any diving today until they finish with the search,” said private diver Juan Heredia.
Soberanes Point is a few miles from Garrapata Beach, where a father and daughter were killed by dangerous surf last week.
Authorities are urging visitors to use extreme caution: heed warning signs, stay off low-lying rocks and wet sand, never turn your back on the ocean, and maintain awareness of changing surf.
Search efforts were suspended on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. and will resume on Monday morning.
The victim’s identity has not been released. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.