A man was swept off rocks at Point Reyes South Beach on Saturday afternoon, triggering a search by boat, helicopter, and on foot that stretched into Sunday. The U.S. Coast Guard says it received calls for a rescue at the beach at approximately 3:34 p.m. Saturday, and by Sunday the agency had suspended its own search while the National Park Service took over with shoreline patrols.
According to The Press Democrat, the Coast Guard searched the water using a 47-foot motor lifeboat and a helicopter, with the Marin County Sheriff's Office providing additional helicopter assistance. The National Park Service's Division of Visitor and Resource Protection took the lead in the search starting Sunday, conducting beach walks that were expected to continue until Tuesday. U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Public Affairs Officer John Thompson said the agency was taking over and would keep walking the beach through Tuesday, per the same report.
A Beach With a Grim History of Rogue Waves
South Beach sits along Great Beach, a roughly 10-mile stretch of outer coastline running to the Point Reyes Lighthouse, where prevailing northwest winds whip up heavy surf, as SFGATE has reported. Rough surf and large waves can catch people off guard.
This is not the first time someone has been swept off these rocks. In November 2023, 73-year-old Hercules resident Richard Sumi died after a rogue sneaker wave pulled him off the shoreline into the ocean while he was fishing at the same beach, according to the National Park Service. The National Park Service described the wave as a rogue sneaker wave.
No Lifeguards Along 80 Miles of Shoreline
Point Reyes National Seashore spans roughly 80 miles of coastline, and none of its beaches have stationed lifeguards, while ocean water in the area hovers around a frigid 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the park service says. Cold water adds to the risks for anyone entering the surf.
The park service warns that sneaker waves are unpredictable and advises visitors to stay 30 yards from the water.
Part of a Pattern Along the North Coast
Fatal wave incidents have struck other corners of the national seashore before. In November 2020, a 4-year-old girl drowned and her father suffered hypothermia after an unexpected wave swept them out to sea at McClures Beach, near the park's northern end, according to the park service. In October 2023, searchers spent multiple days scouring land, air, and sea near Wildcat Beach for a missing 52-year-old swimmer, an operation during which a shark sighting was also reported.
Another Rough Year for West Marin Waters
This latest search follows an August vessel grounding near Point Reyes. In August, a 58-foot commercial fishing vessel ran aground near the park's North Beach, prompting the Coast Guard and National Park Service to establish a unified command, as Hoodline previously reported. North Beach and South Beach form contiguous sections of the same outer coast.
The victim's identity in Saturday's South Beach incident has not been released, and it remains unclear whether he was fishing or walking along the shoreline when the wave struck.
