PESCADERO, Calif. – First responders are again warning beachgoers about dangerous sneaker waves after a man drowned along the San Mateo County coast, marking the latest in a string of coastal fatalities this year.
Cal Fire’s Coastside Protection District said crews were dispatched Wednesday to search for a man swept into the ocean, likely while he was fishing near Pescadero. Multiple agencies from Pescadero and Half Moon Bay responded.
Rescue teams spotted a body floating in the water and, with the help of California State Parks lifeguards, pulled the man to shore. But they were minutes too late.
“When they retrieved the body, the patient was pulseless and apneic … CPR was initiated,” said Tyler Martin of Cal Fire’s Coastside Protection District.
The 32-year-old man was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later. His name has not been released.
The drowning is the eighth along the California coast in the past year — and the fourth in the last month on either the Monterey or Humboldt County coastlines.
Officials say the area is popular with fishers, but warn that strong waves and fishing from rocks remain a dangerous combination. They continue to urge visitors to remain vigilant near the water and to never turn their backs on the ocean.