UPDATE: Rescue Crews To Resume Search For Boy Swept To Sea Off Coast Of San Mateo County
HALF MOON BAY (CBS SF) - Rescuers will resume searching for a boy who was swept to sea on Monday afternoon, at Cowell Ranch State Beach in San Mateo County.
Just before 5 p.m., Cal Fire tweeted that an adult and two children, 8 and 12 years old, were standing on the beach and a wave swept them all to sea. The adult and the 8-year-old managed to fight the waves and push back to shore. The 12-year-old, later identified as Arunay Pruthi, was pulled under 100 yards off shore. He is still missing.
The missing boy's father later identified his son to KPIX 5, and provided a photo. He was too distraught to speak on camera.
The family later set up a Facebook page that will include updates to the search for Arunay.
"They were playing on a shoreline on a sandy beach, when a wave knocked a few people over," said Barbara Morris, Supervising Ranger with California State Parks. "Everyone was able to get out of the water, but the one juvenile was not recovered."
The Coast Guard, Cal Fire and Harbor Patrol were all part of the search. Cowell Ranch State Beach is located just south of Half Moon Bay.
Cal Fire said Monday's search would continue for as long as there was daylight.
"We noticed that the ocean was just really tumultuous, so we figured, we were like nobody should really be out there," said Lauren Roberge of Danville. "The waves were monstrous."
Monday's unseasonably warm weather attracted Roberge to the beach, like hundreds of others.
The San Mateo County coastline was under a high-surf advisory until 6 pm Monday.
"At first, I saw the lights flashing, heard the sirens, and that was like what caught our attention," said bystander Ben Hatton of Danville.
State Parks said just last Sunday a woman was also swept out to sea at nearby Pescadero State Beach. She has not yet been recovered.
"Over the past few weeks, we've been seeing winter wave conditions, that means that sometimes we've got larger waves than usual and we also have sneaker waves that can come up," said Morris.