Bystanders and first responders rescued a woman and her preteen daughter after a sneaker wave swept them offshore at Baker Beach Thursday, as the NWS warns of sneaker waves and dangerous rip currents along the coast through Sunday.
The rescue happened around 3:15 pm Thursday at Baker Beach, where a woman and her preteen daughter were standing near the rocks at the beach’s northeast corner when a sneaker wave swept them into the water and carried them roughly 100 feet offshore, as the Chronicle reports.
TWO RESCUED BAKER BEACH
— SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) June 18, 2026
San Francisco Fire Department crews responded to Baker Beach this afternoon following reports of a mother and preteen child knocked into the ocean by a sneaker wave.
Upon arrival, SFFD launched a full surf rescue deployment. Firefighters located the… pic.twitter.com/KhtRzzKzTM
According to KRON4, bystanders helped pull them from the surf before San Francisco Fire Department crews arrived and launched a surf rescue response. Both were initially transported to the hospital in critical condition, but officials later said their injuries were no longer considered life-threatening.
The incident comes as the National Weather Service has a beach hazard in effect through early Sunday, warning of sneaker waves and dangerous rip currents along parts of the Northern California coastline. Beachgoers are urged to stay away from the water's edge, and stay off rocks, jetties, and piers, and never turn your back to the water.
Incidents involving sneaker waves have been prevalent in recent weeks. Last month, a fisherman was pulled into the ocean by a sneaker wave at Baker Beach and hospitalized in critical condition, as SFist reported previously.
A resident of Pacifica and lifelong fisherwoman, Bae Cadotte, was swept into the ocean by a sneaker wave Tuesday morning and remains hospitalized with injuries after being rescued.
And as ABC 7 reports, two Bay Area college students, 20-year-old Mahial Sran of San Jose State University and UC Berkeley student Harshita Nair, died last week after being swept into the water near Panther Beach in Santa Cruz County, and authorities say a sneaker wave is among the potential causes. Additionally, last week's incident occurred near the same area where a group of eight people became stranded in a cave and required rescuing last month.
Related: Man and Boy Die After Being Pulled From Ocean Near Half Moon Bay
Image: San Francisco Fire Department/X
