HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (KRON) – A 5-year-old girl is dead and her grandfather is missing Monday after a wave reportedly swept them off a Northern California beach and into the ocean over the weekend, according to Coast Guard officials.
The child, identified as Naretzi Navarrete, of Merced, was pulled out to sea Saturday afternoon at Martins Beach in Half Moon Bay, Coast Guard officials said in a news release. San Mateo County Fire personnel found Navarrete, who was transported to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead.
For 22 hours, rescue teams searched 100 square miles for Navarette’s 54-year-old grandfather before they suspended their search Sunday afternoon.
“The decision to suspend search efforts is one of the hardest decisions to make, but our crews searched for nearly 24 hours without any sightings of the missing person,” said Capt. Jordan Baldueza, deputy commander, Coast Guard Sector San Francisco.
A call about two people being swept out to sea came in around 1:20 p.m. Saturday, Coast Guard officials said. A helicopter and a rescue boat were deployed to help with the search, leading to the recovery of Navarette. She was airlifted to Stanford Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The USCG Cutter Hawksbill searched through the night for the man before finally calling off the search around 12:38 p.m. Sunday.
Officials are warning people of the dangers of the ocean due to the weather during this time of year. The National Weather Service issued a beach hazards advisory in the area through noon on Sunday due to potential sneaker waves and rip currents.
This is a developing story.