A man lost his life Monday morning after being trapped beneath debris by powerful waves at Sunset State Beach near Monterey, California, as a major storm battered the state's central coast.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene at the state park around 11:30 a.m. following reports of a person trapped under beach debris. According to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, a massive wave had pinned the man underneath. He was transported to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The victim's identity has not yet been released by authorities.
The incident occurred as an intense storm system brought dangerous conditions to California's coastline, with forecasts warning of waves reaching up to 60 feet and hurricane-force winds. The severe weather prompted evacuations of beachfront properties in several coastal cities.
In a separate incident the same day, another man was swept into the ocean at nearby Marina State Beach, approximately 13 miles south of the first incident. Search efforts had to be suspended after two hours due to increasingly hazardous conditions, with the individual still missing as of Monday evening.
The National Weather Service's Bay Area office issued stark warnings about the extreme danger, advising people to stay away from the water. "You are risking your life, and those of the people that would need to try and save you by getting in or too close to the water," the agency stated.
The powerful storm system continues to move up the West Coast, threatening areas from California to the Pacific Northwest with dangerous surf conditions and extreme weather.