Search continues for girl after she was pulled into ocean near Big Sur coast

By Jose Fabian

A 5-year-old girl remains missing along the Big Sur coast after a wave pulled her and her family into the ocean on Friday, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said on Saturday.

The search for the girl was momentarily suspended at 9 p.m. Friday due to weather and lighting conditions, but the sheriff’s office resumed the search on Saturday, along with several other agencies, with the help of a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter.

The sheriff’s office is asking drivers on Highway 1 not to stop at Garrapata State Beach so emergency crews have space to conduct their search. 

The girl was pulled into the ocean at Garrapata State Beach, north of Rocky Point Restaurant, around 1 p.m. by a wave that was possibly 15 to 20 feet high, the sheriff’s office said.

Her father went into the water to try and rescue her, but the sheriff’s office said both were swept into the ocean. The child’s mother then tried to reach out to them while the man held onto their daughter, but she was swept into the water as well.

She ultimately made it back to shore on her own, and an off-duty State Parks Peace Officer/Lifeguard rescued the man. However, despite CPR attempts, he was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The girl’s mother was also taken to the hospital, where she is recovering from mild hypothermia.

The sheriff’s office said a 2-year-old child was found unharmed at the scene.