HALF MOON BAY – A 5-year-old girl who died after being pulled from the ocean near Half Moon Bay over the weekend was identified Monday by the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office.
The agency identified the girl as Naretzi Navarrete of Merced.
The girl and her 54-year-old grandfather were at Martin’s Beach on Saturday afternoon when they were swept out to sea. That was a day after the National Weather Service issued a hazard statement, warning beachgoers of an increased likelihood of sneaker waves along the coast, particularly on the Peninsula, through Sunday.
“Sneaker waves are potentially deadly waves that surge further up the beach than expected, overtaking the unaware,” the weather service said. “Beachgoers can be swept into the ocean.”
Emergency responders pulled the girl from the ocean. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The U.S. Coast Guard spent roughly 22 hours searching 100 square miles for the grandfather but did not find him.
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Source: www.mercurynews.com