Dangerous conditions along the California coast have turned deadly, with strong rip currents and high surf prompting urgent warnings for beachgoers. Authorities say the powerful water has already claimed lives and forced a large number of rescues as people are urged to stay out of the ocean.
The most serious case unfolded near Santa Cruz, where two college students were swept into the ocean. Identified as Mahial Saran and Harshita Nair, the two young women were pulled from the water and airlifted to the hospital by lifeguards, but both later died from the ordeal.
Rescue crews described how difficult the conditions made their work. In one account, responders said they had to airlift the two patients off the sand because they could not reach them by other means during the high tides battering the shoreline.
The danger was not limited to one stretch of coast. In Newport Beach, more than 500 people were rescued as lifeguards battled rough currents, including an effort to save a surfer who was being pulled under before guards reached him and brought him safely back to shore.
The wave of incidents follows another tragedy from the previous week in Laguna Beach. Waves pulled a five-year-old girl and her family into the sea, and while her mother and brother were rescued, the child's body was later found about 300 yards from the beach, in a loss her father described in heartbreaking terms.
Officials say the combination of strong rip currents and high surf has created especially treacherous conditions across multiple beaches. The repeated rescues and deaths have intensified the message from authorities that the ocean is far more dangerous than it may appear.
In response, coastal hazard warnings have been posted across many areas and are expected to remain in place at least through the following day. Officials are urging people to swim only near an occupied lifeguard stand, or to stay out of the water entirely until conditions improve.