Calgary man, daughter dead in California after wave sweeps them into ocean

CALGARY — Investigators in California say a Calgary man and his seven-year-old daughter have died after they were swept into the Pacific Ocean.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office says 39-year-old Yuji Hu was with his wife and two children at Garrapata State Beach on Friday, when a wave about six metres tall dragged the girl into the water.

The office says the parents reached for the girl and were also swept away.

A beach visitor and an off-duty California park officer pulled Hu out of the ocean and tried to resuscitate him, but he later died in hospital, while his wife made it back to the beach on her own.

A statement from the sheriff’s office posted on Facebook says a diver located the girl’s body on Sunday.

It says the child was initially reported to be five, but family later clarified she was seven.

“The family has expressed their gratitude to all agencies, personnel, and community members involved in the search and recovery efforts. They continue to request privacy and do not wish to make further statements at this time,” the statement said.

The sheriff’s office said the couple’s two-year-old child was unharmed and the woman was treated for mild hypothermia.

A large-scale search effort had been launched to find the missing girl, with a command post set up Saturday involving members of the U.S. Coast Guard, California’s fire service, divers and a helicopter.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said it waited before announcing the girl’s body had been found until her family were notified. A diver located her body roughly 100 metres from shore and just under a kilometre north of her last known location.

A California government website says Garrapata State Beach is a state park with two beach fronts and a 15-metre cliff that oversees the Monterey coast.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 16, 2025.

The Canadian Press