A nighttime visit to a California beach turned terrifying Sunday when a 24-year-old woman was swept out to sea, sparking a Coast Guard search along a coastline already on alert for dangerous surf.
Ennah Park remained missing Monday after disappearing into the ocean at Panther State Beach in Santa Cruz County, the US Coast Guard confirmed to the California Post.
Park was last seen around 9:30 p.m. wearing a white T-shirt and denim skirt at the beach off Highway 1 near Davenport, roughly nine miles north of Santa Cruz.
Her disappearance came as forecasters warned of punishing conditions along the coast, with powerful rip currents, sneaker waves and towering breakers threatening beachgoers.
The National Weather Service said Monday that exposed beaches could see breaking waves reaching 12 to 16 feet, with waves up to 18 feet at some locations. Higher-than-normal tides were also expected to intensify currents.
Authorities have not established whether those conditions caused Park to be swept away. The picturesque stretch of shoreline has been the scene of a string of emergencies this year.
In September, rescuers pulled two people from the ocean after they fell into the water while fishing, according to the Mercury News.
A woman drowned in June after she and a companion were swept into the ocean near a “keyhole” opening in the cliffs, the outlet reported.
And in May, rising water trapped eight people inside a beachside cave before rescuers brought them to safety,
The latest disappearance unfolded amid warnings that rising tides could push waves farther up beaches than visitors expect, cutting off escape routes. Forecasters cautioned that sudden surges can drag people from beaches, jetties and rocks into the ocean.
Anyone with information about Park’s whereabouts is urged to call the Coast Guard at 800-246-7236 or 911.
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