Search suspended for Army specialist from New Jersey swept out to Pacific at California’s Big Sur
By Tim Fang
Authorities on California’s Central Coast have suspended the search for an Army specialist from New Jersey who was swept out to the Pacific Ocean over the weekend.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday evening that formal search operations for 35-year-old Spc. Amanpreet Thind have been halted. Crews had been conducting daily searches for Thind after a large wave swept him and two others into the ocean at Soberanes Point in Garrapata State Park on Saturday.
The park is located in a rugged region of California’s coast known as Big Sur, known for its picturesque views along with its dangerous surf.
A Beach Hazard Statement was in effect at the time of the incident. Meanwhile, the search was limited to daylight hours due to safety reasons and conditions were too treacherous for divers through Monday.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, conditions were safe enough to allow the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team and California State Parks Rescue Swimmers to search for Thind in the water. Private diver Juan Heredia of the Angels Recovery Dive Team also worked alongside authorities and drone support was provided, deputies said, but Thind was not found.
“After four days of coordinated, intensive operations, and after consulting with California State Parks and other regional partners, the Sheriff’s Office has suspended formal search activities. Resources will remain on standby should Thind be seen or located,” deputies said in a statement.
A native of New Jersey, Thind had been studying at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, where members of the Armed Forces learn foreign languages. The sheriff’s office said that Thind’s family and command staff at the school have been notified.
The two friends who went into the ocean with Thind were able to safely exit the water and were treated and released for minor injuries at a local hospital.
Thind was swept into the ocean eight days after a father from Canada and his 7-year-old daughter died after being pulled into the water at Garrapata State Beach several miles away.
Heredia found the girl’s body after several days of searching.
“I was looking for a place to go on and that’s when I saw the little girl turning in the waves. I jumped in with my street clothes and grabbed her,” he told CBS News Bay Area on Monday.
Heredia has been diving for 30 years and his nonprofit is dedicated to recovering drowning victims from rivers, lakes, and oceans, recovering 15 bodies.
Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, Monterey County officials offered several safety tips for people visiting the coast.
Visitors are urged to stay aware of ocean conditions, never turning back on the ocean, staying off rocks, jetties and outcroppings and to respect posted warnings and barriers.
