Search for man swept from California beach by huge wave called off, Coast Guard says

Moments after a huge wave swept a man off rocks on a California beach Tuesday, he could still be seen struggling to survive in the 50-degree water, rescuers say.

“We had one male subject in the water, struggling to get back to make it to shore, and was unsuccessful,” said Battalion Chief Jeff Huntze of the North San Mateo County Fire Authority, KTVU reported.

The man vanished after being swept to sea about 8 a.m. from a beach in Pacifica, south of San Francisco, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The U.S. Coast Guard suspended a search for him Wednesday.

Onlookers said the man had climbed over a barrier to walk on the rocks near the Pacifica Pier, KTVU reported. It was one of several incidents Tuesday involving huge waves on the coast.

A Coast Guard helicopter towed two jet-skiers to safety off Point Bonita in the Marin Headlands about 11 a.m. after they ran into trouble in heavy surf, according to the station.

At 2 p.m., a woman walking her dog on Linda Mar Beach at Pacifica State Beach narrowly escaped drowning when a man flying a drone saw her get knocked down by a wave, The Mercury News reported.

“Everything came together, and it was a good ending,” Huntze said, according to the publication.

On Monday, a Salt Lake City woman died after being swept out to sea from a Humboldt County beach while watching the waves, The Sacramento Bee reported.

Mary Malouf, 65, had been visiting the coast with her adult son, according to the publication.

This story was originally published December 9, 2020 at 2:41 PM with the headline "Search for man swept from California beach by huge wave called off, Coast Guard says."