Tragedy struck as two women lost their lives after being swept away by the sea while resting on the shore, according to authorities.
Reports suggest that the two women were taking a nap on Panther Beach in Santa Cruz, California, around 5 pm on Wednesday, June 10, when they were caught off guard by the tide, as stated by Santa Cruz County Volunteer Fire Capt. Kyle Breton in a released statement.
Multiple agencies, including Cal Fire, the Santa Cruz County Fire Department, Santa Cruz City Fire rescue swimmers, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, and California State Parks, responded to the emergency. Approximately eight rescue swimmers were deployed in the rescue operation, mentioned Breton.
One of the women was rescued from the water near Panther Beach, while the other was found at the nearby Yellow Bank Beach. Both women were taken to local medical facilities. One was airlifted from the beach using a helicopter, according to Breton, while the second was carried up in a Stokes basket, a stretcher commonly used by first responders.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Monday that the two women, identified as 21-year-old Harshita Nair and 20-year-old Mahial Sran, both from Fremont, Calif., had tragically passed away.
“We believe both of these individuals were initially resting near the keyhole, a spot that often catches people off guard,” said Breton in a video shared on X, referring to an entrance beneath a rock formation leading to the beach.
Explaining further, he added, “The tides came in and, in this instance, swept away two sleeping individuals. We have also observed that people pass through the keyhole to reach Yellow Bank Beach and then become trapped due to the rising tides.”
Cal Fire mentioned in its statement that this incident marked the fifth rescue operation they had conducted in a month along a one-mile stretch of coastline near Santa Cruz.
