Two swimmers die at Bay Area beaches, one a 14-year-old at Crissy Field
Two swimmers died off Bay Area beaches during this week’s heat wave.
The first was a teenage boy who drowned Monday at San Francisco’s Crissy Field Beach. He was identified by the San Francisco medical examiner’s office as Bereketabe Yohannes, 14.
Bereketabe was reported missing after being seen struggling in the water around 2:15 p.m. A fire department rescue crew pulled him from the water and started life-saving efforts, but he died at a hospital.
According to a GoFundMe account set up by his classmates, Bereketabe had just finished seventh grade at the Claire Lilienthal School in San Francisco’s Marina neighborhood. He had been enjoying the start of his summer break with friends at the beach the day he died.
The account has been set up to help his family bring his body to Ethiopia, their home country, to lay him to rest.
On Tuesday, a swimmer was reported missing from the south end of Stinson Beach around 6:40 p.m. He had last been seen struggling in the surf about 60 yards off shore.
Searchers from several agencies searched for the man until dark forced them to halt the effort. His body was found around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, at the surf line at the north end of the beach.
The Marin County coroner’s office identified the man as Tony Carnill Foster Jr., 34, of Marin City.
A post-mortem exam is scheduled for Friday.