Man dead, 7-year-old missing after water rescue on the Central Coast
Authorities were searching the seas for a 7-year-old girl Friday evening, after responding to a water rescue on the Central Coast.
According to Monterey County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Andres Rosas, a family in distress was reported near the waterline at Garrapata State Park just before 1 p.m. on Friday.
A man, identified as the father of the family, was attempting to rescue his 7-year-old daughter after she was swept to sea, according to a Monterey County Sheriff’s Office news release.
The man was pulled from the ocean and transported to the hospital in critical condition after receiving CPR, Rosas said. He later died at the hospital.
The 7-year-old girl was pulled into the ocean by a 15- to 20-foot wave, Rosas said.
The mother and a 2-year-old girl were also transported to the hospital, both in stable condition, Rosas said. The mother was swept into the ocean but was able to get back to shore on her own, Rosas said. The 2-year-old was unharmed in the incident, the release said.
Authorities were actively searching for the missing child just before 5 p.m. Friday, Rosas said. She was last seen wearing a white shirt, according to the release.
Multiple agencies, including the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, California State Parks, Coast Guard and CHP were assisting with the search.
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Rosas said water conditions were rough at the time.
The search was ongoing after 7 p.m., and Rosas told The Tribune that if the child was not found by the time the search stopped Friday night, the efforts would resume at daybreak Saturday morning.
This story was originally published November 14, 2025 at 5:49 PM.
CORRECTION: This article was updated to reflect new information from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. The missing child was last seen wearing a white shirt and was 7 years old.
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