Authorities are searching for 24-year-old Senah Park, who was swept out to sea Sunday night near Panther State Beach in Davenport, as dangerous tides and waves persist along the coast.
DAVENPORT, Calif. —
Authorities are searching for Senah Park, a 24-year-old woman who was swept out to sea Sunday night near Panther State Beach in Davenport, as high tides and dangerous waves continue to pose risks along the coast.
Around 8 p.m. Sunday, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a group of friends knocked down by a strong tide. While most of the group made it back to shore, Park did not.
“The hope is that we find her somewhere safe, hopefully stranded on a beach somewhere, so we’re working really closely with a couple of our different partners, the Coast Guard, state parks, harbor patrol, the Air Force, and then our own internal search and rescue team,” Daniel Robbins, with the sheriff’s office, said.
The sheriff’s office launched an extensive search Sunday night using drones, ground crews, and helicopters. On Monday, the search expanded with boats and additional aerial resources searching throughout the day.
“We’ve been getting enough air support as we can, as well as our own fixed-wing plane to canvas the area,” Robbins said.
Crews warned that the waves in the area are extremely dangerous, even for experienced swimmers.
“It’s very strong water, strong rip tides, big waves, and lots of rocks along the shoreline that can incapacitate people if they get hit by those waves,” Robbins said.
Authorities are urging visitors to exercise caution and choose beaches with lifeguards.
“We always recommend going to beaches that are maybe a little bit more populated that have lifeguards,” Robbins said.