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Army Specialist Identified in Big Sur Surf Incident as Recovery Effort Continues

Hazardous surf has hampered divers and aircraft since a Coast Guard crew briefly spotted a possible body near Soberanes Point.

Overview

  • Authorities identified the missing man as 35-year-old U.S. Army Spc. Amanpreet Thind of New Jersey, a student at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey.
  • Thind and two women were swept from rocks at Soberanes Point around 3 p.m. on Nov. 22; the women self-rescued and were treated for minor injuries.
  • The operation shifted from search-and-rescue to search-and-recovery after a Coast Guard helicopter lost visual contact with what appeared to be a body in dangerous surf.
  • Multi-agency teams have limited efforts to daylight, and officials said Tuesday that a water search could begin Wednesday if conditions allow.
  • Officials continue to warn visitors to stay off coastal rocks as the incident follows the recent deaths of a father and his 7-year-old daughter at the same park.