Beach hazards statement issued for Bay Area, Central Coast through Sunday night
By Tim Fang
The National Weather Service is warning visitors to beaches and shorelines in the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Coast this holiday weekend to be careful due to an increased risk of sneaker waves and rip currents.
On Friday, the agency issued a beach hazards statement for the coast stretching from northern Sonoma County down to Big Sur in Monterey County. The statement is in effect through 10 p.m. Sunday.
“Sneaker waves can unexpectedly run significantly farther up the beach than normal, including over rocks and jetties. Rip currents are typically more frequent and stronger in the vicinity of jetties, inlets, and piers,” the weather service said in a statement.
Forecasters said breaking waves of 13 to 18 feet are expected through the holiday weekend.
Visitors to the coast are urged to stay off of rocks and out of the water. Also, visitors should not turn their back to the ocean.
The warning follows recent tragedies along Big Sur in Monterey County, in which three people drowned after being swept into the ocean in the last three weeks. On Nov. 14, 39-year-old Yuji Hu and 7-year-old Anzi Hu, both from Calgary, Canada, died after being pulled into the water at Garrapata State Beach.
Eight days later, Army Spc. Amanpreet Thind of New Jersey was among three people who were swept into the ocean at Soberanes Point. The two friends who went into the water with Thind survived and were treated for minor injuries.
Thind, 35, had been studying at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey. Search efforts for Thind ended on Wednesday evening.
Monterey County officials offered several safety tips for visitors to the beach and coast this holiday weekend, which include staying aware of ocean conditions, never turning back on the ocean, staying off rocks, jetties and outcroppings and to respect posted warnings and barriers.
