Man Got Swept Away by a Dangerous Surf in the Bay Area
On Tuesday, a group of rescuers conducted a search operation to find and rescue a man who got swept off from San Francisco’s Pacifica coast. Based on tidal reports, the Bay Area would experience dangerous surfs in its oceans and seas, rendering it unsafe for people to go swimming or surfing for the day.
The North County Fire Authority released an official statement detailing the events of the said incident. According to the organization, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter flew across the place in an attempt to search for the missing victim. At 9:05 a.m. on Tuesday, fire units got deployed between Paloma Avenue and Beach Boulevard to help identify how the man got swept off from the coast and into the Pacifica.
According to information collected by KCBS Radio, a witness testified that by 7:43 a.m., he saw the man standing on several rocks at the beach. Shortly afterwards, the man got engulfed by a large wave that pulled him into the water.
The most recent update on the incident reported the man as still “missing,” as rescuers haven’t found him yet after the tidal sweep-off. A woman got wiped away by a 25-feet dangerous surf into the Pacific Ocean in Northern California in a separate location on the same day. Unlike the first reported case, the woman got rescued.
Tuesday’s Weather Forecast and Temperature Report
The National Weather Service posted a high surf advisory in the Bay Area. From morning up to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, beaches in the state prohibit civilians from doing any water activities to prioritize everyone’s safety and well-being from potential killer waves. Additionally, the Northern California beaches also experienced dangerous surfs on the same day, caused by a swell in the northwest.
Bay Area beaches experiencing west- to the northwest- facing waves on Tuesday could reach up as high as 25 feet. Moreover, sneaker waves and rip tides both also pose risks for people planning to take a dip or surf into the waters. As such, the weather service has advised beachgoers not to turn their backs on the ocean, look out for their pets, and pry away from coastal harbors.
Weather service meteorologist Matt Mehle stated that the day’s weather encourages people to visit the beach to hang out and enjoy a swim. However, the tidal status for Tuesday’s oceans poses high risks of encountering dangerous waves that could sweep people away from the shore and end up deep into the waters. Due to the forecast predictions, Mehle repeatedly reminds Bay Area locals to stay away from the ocean and save their activities for another time. Furthermore, Mehle reported that several cases of rescue operations got aired on the news lately, indicating that it is unsafe to make trips to the beach.
In the afternoon forecast for Tuesday, the Bay Area witnesses peak December temperatures with widespread 70s as the state expects a big wave to hit its beaches’ water coastlines.
Despite the pleasant temperatures outside, Northern California’s beach waters are cold to the touch. Winds passing from the north Pacific to the California coast cause chilly sea surface waters to make oceans experience below-normal water temperatures. Recent readings revealed low to mid-50s water temperature – measurements that stray away from the region’s usual 55 to 57 degrees during this time of the year.
According to another meteorologist named Garcia, the temperatures make it feel like someone dumped ice cubes into the waters due to the reported cold measurements. Garcia also noted that the low temperatures could increase people’s possibility of drowning in beach waters due to the heat getting sucked out from them.
