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

2010-07-03 · Southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur Coast, California

Event narrative

As many as ten people at Monastery Beach, south of Carmel, were caught by surprise as a sneaker wave washed them from the beach into the ocean. A Good Samaritan decided to help with the rescue and died after pulling at least one person to safety. Another beachgoer succumbed to injuries and died the next day. Five others were taken to local hospitals and then released.

Wider weather episode

Low pressure over the Pacific Ocean caused an eight to ten foot swell to travel into the coastal waters of California. At the coast, larger sets of waves, called sneaker waves, can move farther up the beaches than expected and catch visitors by surprise. These types of waves occurred at Monastery Beach, south of Carmel.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 254073. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.