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California investigators say a Calgary man and his seven-year-old daughter died after being swept into the Pacific Ocean.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said Yuji Hu, 39, was with his wife and two children last Friday when a wave about 20 feet high swept his daughter into the Pacific Ocean.
When Hu and his wife reached for their daughter, they too were dragged into the water, the office said.
A beach visitor and an off-duty California park officer pulled Hu from the ocean and attempted to resuscitate him while his wife returned to the beach alone.
A statement from the sheriff’s office posted on Facebook said a diver located the girl’s body on Sunday. The girl was initially reported to be five years old, but the family later clarified that she was seven.
“The family has expressed their gratitude to all agencies, staff and community members involved in the search and recovery efforts. They continue to request privacy and do not wish to comment further at this time,” the statement said.
The sheriff’s office said the couple’s two-year-old son was unharmed and the adult woman was treated for mild hypothermia.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said it waited before announcing that the girl’s body had been found until her family was notified. A diver located his body about 100 meters from the coast and just under a kilometer north of his last known location.
A large-scale search effort that included a command post set up from dawn to dusk Saturday, with members of the U.S. Coast Guard, California Fire Service, divers and a helicopter searching for the girl, has since been suspended.
According to a California government website, Garrapata State Beach is a state park with two beach fronts and a 50-foot-high cliff overlooking the Monterey coast.
