Two women tragically lost their lives after being swept out to sea while sleeping on Panther Beach in Santa Cruz, California. The incident occurred around 5 pm local time on Wednesday, June 10, when the tide unexpectedly overwhelmed them, as reported by Santa Cruz County Volunteer Fire Capt. Kyle Breton.
Various agencies, including Cal Fire, Santa Cruz County Fire Department, Santa Cruz City Fire rescue swimmers, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, and California State Parks, responded to the emergency. Approximately eight rescue swimmers were dispatched to assist in the rescue efforts.
Following the incident, one woman was rescued near Panther Beach, while the other was found at Yellow Bank Beach nearby. Both women were rushed to local hospitals for treatment. One of the women was airlifted from the beach, while the other was carried up in a Stokes basket, a stretcher commonly used by first responders.
Tragically, both women, identified as 21-year-old Harshita Nair and 20-year-old Mahial Sran from Fremont, Calif., succumbed to the ordeal. Breton mentioned in a video that the women were believed to have been sleeping near the keyhole, an area prone to catching people off guard due to the rising tides.
The incident at Panther Beach marked the fifth rescue operation conducted by Cal Fire along a one-mile stretch of coastline near Santa Cruz in just one month.
