Investigators in California have reported a tragic incident where a man and his seven-year-old daughter from Calgary lost their lives after being swept into the Pacific Ocean. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office shared that Yuji Hu, 39 years old, was at the beach with his wife and two children when a large wave pulled his daughter into the ocean. In their attempt to rescue the girl, Hu and his wife were also dragged into the water.
Quick action from a beach visitor and an off-duty California park officer led to Hu being rescued from the ocean, where attempts were made to revive him. Fortunately, his wife managed to return to the beach by herself. Tragically, the girl’s body was discovered by a diver two days later, despite initially being reported as a five-year-old, her family later clarified she was seven.
In a statement on Facebook, the sheriff’s office conveyed the family’s gratitude to all involved in the search and recovery efforts, while also highlighting their desire for privacy at this time. The couple’s two-year-old child was unharmed, and the woman received treatment for mild hypothermia.
The sheriff’s office delayed the announcement of finding the girl’s body to ensure the family was informed first. The diver located her roughly 100 meters from shore and nearly a kilometer north of her last known location. The extensive search operation involving the U.S. Coast Guard, California fire service, divers, and helicopters has been called off after exhaustive efforts.
Garrapata State Beach, as described on a California government website, is a state park featuring two beach areas and a 15-meter-high cliff overlooking the Monterey coast.