A couple expecting a child were taking a picture on a rock when a freak wave knocked them into the ocean.
Emma Nelly Diazleal Lopez, 33, and Pedro David Guadarrama Ceron, 30, were enjoying a moment at West Cliff Drive near David Way in Santa Cruz, California, when the wave unexpectedly struck.
‘Several callers reported two victims having been swept off the rocks by a wave and into the ocean,’ stated the Santa Cruz Fire Department on Facebook of the July 16 incident.
Emergency responders found ‘both victims floating face down in the ocean’.
Two rescue swimmers quickly pulled the victims out of the water and onto a rescue boat, where first responders administered life support measures.
Despite resuscitation efforts, both of them died.
The couple, both from San Jose, were identified on Thursday.
Ceron’s father told NBC Bay Area that the couple were taking photos on a rock and that the family is heartbroken given Lopez would soon have been a mother.
The dad added that Ceron had immigrated to the US from Mexico four years ago searching for the American dream and was planning to marry Lopez soon.
Locals have referred to the spot where the couple were swept away as ‘death rocks’ due to the unpredictable and menacing currents, Santa Cruz Fire Department Chief Rob Oatey told KTVU.
A deputy harbor master who responded to the call, David Hill, warned against freak waves after witnessing the tragedy first hand.
‘You may have a perfectly calm day where it’s not a lot of wind, there’s not a lot of chop in the water,’ said Hill. ‘But there could be a swell system that creates a wave every 15 minutes. You may not realize it.’
He urged people to pay attention to any signs on conditions in the environment and to only stand in dry places.
‘Any surface before standing on it, you want to see if it’s wet first because if there’s water, water splashed on it,’ Hill said.
The fire department stated that some southerly swells and rising tides can create ‘sneaker waves’ that can catch people off-guard. The agency reminded the public ‘to never turn your back on the ocean and be aware of tidal conditions’.
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