Boy, 12, missing after being swept into ocean
SAN MATEO COUNTY >> The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Tuesday for a 12-year-old Fremont boy who was swept into the ocean Monday at Cowell Ranch State Beach in San Mateo County.
State parks staff will continue to patrol the area. High wind and surf Tuesday morning prompted the Pillar Point Harbor’s Master Office to recall a boat it deployed in the search, and further efforts will be made in the coming days, according to a state parks spokesman.
The 12-year-old boy was standing with an 8-year-old boy and a man — believed to be his brother and father — on the beach about 3:45 p.m. Monday when they were swept into the ocean, said Cecile Juliette, a spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection San MateoSanta Cruz Unit.
The younger boy and the man were beaten up by the waves and pushed back to the beach, but the older boy was pulled under about 100 yards offshore, Juliette said. The U.S. Coast Guard and California Highway Patrol have used helicopters to search for the missing boy, she added.
Family members identified the missing boy as Arunay Pruthi of Fremont, KTVU reported.
“He was a reasonably good swimmer. It was a warm day but the waves were big,” Tarun Pruthi, Arunay’s father, told the television station. “All of us basically managed back but he just drifted away.”
The coastline in San Mateo and San Francisco counties was under a highsurf advisory until 6 p.m. Monday, with the National Weather Service forecast office in Monterey warning of an increased risk of sneaker waves, large breaking waves and rip currents. Large breaking waves up to 22 feet were expected at westnorthwest facing beaches.
Conditions at Cowell Ranch State Beach were “incredibly poor” Monday, Juliette said.
“They might have thought they had a good distance between themselves and the water,” said Juliette, referring to the trio who was swept into the ocean, “but it can be that one wave that doesn’t look any different than any other wave until it’s grabbing you by the ankles, knocking you off your feet and pulling you into the water.”
“You really have to leave a good distance between yourself and the water,” she continued. “It’s happening way too often.”
About an hour before the search kicked off, an adult and two children were seen struggling in the water at Ross Cove Beach roughly 14 miles to the north, Cal Fire said in a tweet. They were rescued and reported to be in stable condition.