A four-year-old girl was swept into the ocean by a large wave on Thanksgiving Day in West Marin and drowned.
The incident happened around 4 p.m. Thursday at McClures Beach in the Point Reyes National Seashore, as the Marin Independent Journal reports. Eight- to 12-foot waves were crashing on the beach at the time, and the girl was quickly overtaken by one. The girl's father reportedly jumped in after her, but was unable to save her in time.
"She was in the water for an extended period of time and then she came ashore, where National Park Service rangers immediately administered CPR," said Marin County fire Battalion Chief Graham Groneman, speaking to the Marin IJ.
The girl was then transported by helicopter to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland, where she was pronounced dead.
The father was also helicoptered from the scene to Petaluma Valley Hospital, where he was treated for hypothermia.
The National Weather Service issued a High Surf Advisory on Thursday, saying on Twitter that a northwest swell had arrived with the high winds and "there is a lot of energy in the ocean today." Waves of 13 to 16 feet were expected.
As KPIX reports, neither the girl's nor the father's name has been released to the media.
Photo: Ivana Cajina/Unsplash
