The U.S Coast Guard suspended a search for a 54-year-old man after he was swept to the sea from a California beach over the weekend.
In a distressing incident at Martins Beach in Half Moon Bay, California, a massive wave swept away Pascal A. Micheletto Soriano, 54, of Hughson, California, and his five-year-old granddaughter, Naretzi Navarrete, from Merced, California. The incident occurred on Saturday, November 25, 2023. Following the accident, an extensive operation was launched by the U.S. Coast Guard to locate them.
The child, Naretzi, was later rescued from the waters and urgently airlifted to Stanford Hospital by a helicopter, with assistance from a rescue boat. Unfortunately, despite the hospital staff’s best efforts, she was declared dead at 3:32 p.m. on Sunday, November 26.
The search for Micheletto Soriano continued until Sunday at around 2:53 pm when the Coast Guard decided to suspend the operation. Over 22 hours of searching across 100 square miles yielded no trace of him.
Captain Jordan Baldueza of the Coast Guard Sector in San Francisco admitted that suspending the search was a profoundly difficult decision, made after nearly a full day of fruitless efforts.
This heartbreaking event coincided with warnings from the National Weather Service about sneaker waves, particularly dangerous and unpredictable. These warnings, specifically for that weekend, emphasized the risk of these waves surging unexpectedly, posing serious threats to beachgoers. Half Moon Bay, known for its natural beauty, is also recognized for its maritime dangers.
