High Surf — Southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur Coast, California

2025-11-22 to 2025-11-26 · Southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur Coast, California

Event narrative

A 35-year old man and two women were hit by a large wave on November 22. The two women were able to self-rescue, but the man was not. Just after 3 PM, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office and California State Parks launched a rescue effort for the man. Around 4:24 PM, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter located what appeared to be a body in the water; however, due to dangerous surf conditions, visual contact was lost and the individual could not be relocated. Formal search operations were ended on November 26.

Wider weather episode

A 35-year old man and two women were hit by a large wave on November 22. The two women were able to self-rescue, but the man was not. Just after 3 PM, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office and California State Parks launched a rescue effort for the man. Around 4:24 PM, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter located what appeared to be a body in the water; however, due to dangerous surf conditions, visual contact was lost and the individual could not be relocated. Formal search operations were ended on November 26. At the time of the incident, a Beach Hazards Statement was in effect due to dangerous high surf, along with an increased risk of sneaker waves and rip currents. The Point Sur buoy (46239) reported wave heights of 10 feet, with a dominant period of 13 seconds from the west-northwest.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1296195. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.