SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search for a teen swept off a beach near Davenport, Calif., after he was reported missing early this morning.
At 4:00 a.m., the Coast Guard received a report from the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Department that a 17 year-old male was swept from the beach. A 47- foot motor lifeboat from Station Monterey and a HH-65 helicopter from Air Station San Francisco were launched and searched a six mile stretch of coastline from Davenport south to Santa Cruz, and offshore to a distance of eight miles. The California State Park Service and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection conducted searches shore-side simultaneously.
At approximately 12:30 p.m. today, the search was suspended. The teen was reported to be wearing only board shorts. The weather conditions reported on scene were winds up to 20 miles per hour, 12-foot ocean swells, and a water temperature of 55 degrees.
The Coast Guard reminds beach-goers to always use extreme caution and vigilance when near the water. Sneaker-waves, rip-currents, and rocky shorelines can combine to create life-threatening situations. Individual waves can be significantly larger than the standard set, and can quickly sweep a person into the sea.
