California officials have now identified the Calgary child who tragically perished on Friday after being swept into the Pacific Ocean as 7-year-old Anzi Hu. The incident occurred at Garrapata Beach, where her father, 39-year-old Yuji Hu, also lost his life while attempting to rescue her.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office received a distress call about a water rescue at the beach, located approximately 16 kilometers south of Carmel, just before 1 p.m. Responding to the emergency were a tourist and an off-duty lifeguard who witnessed the family in distress.
Yuji Hu was swept into the ocean when he tried to save his daughter, while Anzi’s mother made efforts to bring her family back to shore but was unsuccessful. The tourist and lifeguard managed to pull Yuji from the water and administered CPR, but unfortunately, he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Anzi’s mother was treated for mild hypothermia and later released from the hospital, while the family’s two-year-old daughter was unharmed. The family has requested privacy as they mourn their tragic loss.
Search efforts for Anzi were conducted until 9 p.m. on Friday, halted due to darkness and hazardous weather conditions. The search resumed from sunrise to sunset on Saturday and continued on Sunday with the assistance of volunteer groups like the Monterey County Sheriff’s search and rescue team, California State Parks, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the California Highway Patrol.
Juan Heredia, who leads a recovery dive team in California, joined the search effort and successfully located Anzi in the waves. Heredia expressed empathy for the family’s loss, highlighting the heroic actions of Anzi’s father in trying to save her.
Garrapata Beach is known for its treacherous waves, and the area was under a high surf advisory on the day of the incident due to storms in the region. Officials emphasized the danger posed by the beach’s rapid transition to deep waters and the proximity of large waves to the shore.
Mike Dippel, chief ranger with California State Parks, warned visitors to be cautious of surf conditions, avoid turning their backs on the ocean, and opt for beaches with lifeguard services. The tragic events at Garrapata Beach serve as a somber reminder of the risks posed by powerful coastal waves.