U.S. Army specialist swept to sea in California identified

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office says the man swept off the rocks into the ocean at Soberanes Point was a Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center student.The man was identified as Amanpreet Thind, a 35-year-old U.S. Army specialist and student at the Defense Language Institute, as the man swept away by waves at Soberanes Point on Saturday.Col. Christy L. Whitfield, Commandant at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, stated, “The missing person from Saturday’s incident at Garrapata State Park is Spc. Amanpreet Thind, a U.S. Army Soldier and student at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. As search and recovery operations continue, we hold out hope that Spc. Thind will be found. We offer our deepest condolences to the Thind family during this difficult time. We are providing those impacted with every resource and support service available and extend our heartfelt gratitude to local, state, and national first responders working tirelessly to locate Spc. Thind.”Thind, from New Jersey, was one of three people caught by the waves, but he never made it out of the water, while the two women accompanying him did. Andy Rosas, spokesperson for the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, stated, “In this particular case, there are established protocols both by the U.S. military services as well as the Monterey County Sheriff’s office to ensure that family members are notified about the current situation regarding their loved ones prior to making any public statements.”Search efforts resumed Monday morning, involving multiple agencies. The Monterey County Sheriff’s dive team reported that ocean conditions remain unsafe for entry into the water at this time. “The dive team indicates that it’s still unsafe for them to make entry into water; however, they’ve looked ahead, and there appears to be an opportunity to begin underwater dive searches tomorrow,” Rosas said.Rosas said Thind is of Indian descent and was wearing a white turban, black shorts, a black shirt, and a black vest.At around 4:24 p.m. Saturday, a Coast Guard helicopter spotted what appeared to be a body in the ocean but, due to high surf, lost visual. Because of this and other factors, the response has shifted to a search-and-recovery mission.A beach hazards warning was in effect Monday, with conditions expected to improve Tuesday. Coast Guard officials have warned that sneaker waves are very dangerous. “Sneaker waves are unpredictable waves that are higher in height than other waves, move up the shoreline just not in the beach, but also along rock,” Leo Zapawa, Chief Warrant Officer with the U.S. Coast Guard, said.Tourists visiting the area expressed alarm upon hearing about the recovery efforts. One visitor said, “It’s all open ocean, so it’s because of the wind that you can lose balance and go in, and anything can happen.” Another added, “Everyone should definitely be more cautious.”A resident commented on the situation, saying, “That’s really tragic, there’s a lot of signage on the trails and if you just obey the signs and stay on the trail, you can be safe and enjoy the views, it’s really beautiful.”The public is asked to stay away from the Soberanes Point area as search efforts continue.

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. —

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office says the man swept off the rocks into the ocean at Soberanes Point was a Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center student.

The man was identified as Amanpreet Thind, a 35-year-old U.S. Army specialist and student at the Defense Language Institute, as the man swept away by waves at Soberanes Point on Saturday.

Col. Christy L. Whitfield, Commandant at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, stated, “The missing person from Saturday’s incident at Garrapata State Park is Spc. Amanpreet Thind, a U.S. Army Soldier and student at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. As search and recovery operations continue, we hold out hope that Spc. Thind will be found. We offer our deepest condolences to the Thind family during this difficult time. We are providing those impacted with every resource and support service available and extend our heartfelt gratitude to local, state, and national first responders working tirelessly to locate Spc. Thind.”

Thind, from New Jersey, was one of three people caught by the waves, but he never made it out of the water, while the two women accompanying him did.

Andy Rosas, spokesperson for the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, stated, “In this particular case, there are established protocols both by the U.S. military services as well as the Monterey County Sheriff’s office to ensure that family members are notified about the current situation regarding their loved ones prior to making any public statements.”

Search efforts resumed Monday morning, involving multiple agencies.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s dive team reported that ocean conditions remain unsafe for entry into the water at this time.

“The dive team indicates that it’s still unsafe for them to make entry into water; however, they’ve looked ahead, and there appears to be an opportunity to begin underwater dive searches tomorrow,” Rosas said.

Rosas said Thind is of Indian descent and was wearing a white turban, black shorts, a black shirt, and a black vest.

At around 4:24 p.m. Saturday, a Coast Guard helicopter spotted what appeared to be a body in the ocean but, due to high surf, lost visual. Because of this and other factors, the response has shifted to a search-and-recovery mission.

A beach hazards warning was in effect Monday, with conditions expected to improve Tuesday.

Coast Guard officials have warned that sneaker waves are very dangerous.

“Sneaker waves are unpredictable waves that are higher in height than other waves, move up the shoreline just not in the beach, but also along rock,” Leo Zapawa, Chief Warrant Officer with the U.S. Coast Guard, said.

Tourists visiting the area expressed alarm upon hearing about the recovery efforts.

One visitor said, “It’s all open ocean, so it’s because of the wind that you can lose balance and go in, and anything can happen.” Another added, “Everyone should definitely be more cautious.”

A resident commented on the situation, saying, “That’s really tragic, there’s a lot of signage on the trails and if you just obey the signs and stay on the trail, you can be safe and enjoy the views, it’s really beautiful.”

The public is asked to stay away from the Soberanes Point area as search efforts continue.