MONTEREY, Calif. (FOX26) — The body of a 7-year-old girl, who was swept into the ocean at Garrapata State Park on Friday, was recovered on Sunday by Juan Heredia, a volunteer diver.
The discovery was made at approximately 1:20 p.m., about half a mile north of where she went missing, according to California State Parks and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities had previously reported that the girl’s father, 39-year-old Yuji Hu from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, died after attempting to rescue his daughter amid high-surf conditions.
Initially, the child was reported to be 5 years old, but family members have since clarified her age as 7.
The incident occurred when 15- to 20-foot waves swept the girl into the ocean.
An off-duty State Park Peace Officer (SPPO) Lifeguard responded to the emergency at about 12:50 p.m., managing to pull Hu from the water and begin CPR.
The girl’s mother was also swept into the ocean but returned to shore with the lifeguard’s help.
She was transported to a local hospital in stable condition, suffering from mild hypothermia.
Hu was taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. A 2-year-old child present at the scene was unharmed.
Comment with Bubbles
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (3)
The search for the girl involved multiple agencies, including California State Parks, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Coast Guard, CAL FIRE, Monterey County Search and Rescue, and the California Highway Patrol.