Overview
- Rescuers responded after a group of four was knocked over by a rising tide at Panther State Beach and a 24-year-old woman did not return to shore on Sunday night.
- Multi-agency teams from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, Cal Fire and the U.S. Coast Guard are conducting ongoing drone, helicopter, boat and ground searches and have expanded the search area using drift and current modeling.
- Officials have identified the missing woman as a 24-year-old Park, with some outlets reporting her name as Senah and others as Ennah; authorities have not confirmed how ocean conditions related to her disappearance.
- The National Weather Service had issued a beach hazards statement warning of sneaker waves, strong rip currents and breaking waves roughly 12 to 18 feet, and local officials say the beach’s narrow keyhole and rock formations can become submerged quickly.
- Panther State Beach has seen several dangerous incidents this year including previous drownings and trapped visitors, and authorities are asking the public to report tips to the sheriff’s office or Coast Guard as the search continues.