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California authorities have identified the Calgary child who died Friday after she was swept into the Pacific Ocean.
More likely He, 7, died after she was caught in a big wave on Garrapata beach.
Her father, Yuji Hu, 39, also died after trying to save her.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office said they were notified of a rescue operation at the beach, which is about 10 miles south of Carmel, shortly before 1 p.m.
Andres Rosas, public information officer for the sheriff's office, said a hiker and an off-duty rescue worker responded when they saw the family in trouble.
Rosas said that when Yuji tried to save his daughter, he too was swept into the ocean. He said Anzi's mother tried to get her family back to shore but was unable to contact them.
A hiker and a lifeguard pulled Yuji from the water and performed CPR on him, the sheriff's office said. Yuuji was later taken to the hospital, but was pronounced dead upon arrival there.
The mother was also taken to the hospital, where she was treated for mild hypothermia and later released.
The family's two-year-old daughter was also present but was not injured.
Rosas said the family requests privacy while they grieve.
The search is conducted from sunrise to sunset.
The search for Anzi continued until 9pm on Friday, after which darkness and weather made the search too dangerous. It lasted from sunrise to sunset on Saturday and resumed on Sunday, Rosas said.
This incident shocked me, because when I grabbed her in my arms to walk to the shore, I remembered my daughter.– Juan Heredia, diver
The effort was assisted by the Monterey County Sheriff's Office's mostly volunteer search and rescue team, as well as California State Parks, the U.S. Coast Guard and the California Highway Patrol, while the Naval Air Station provided helicopter support.
Juan Heredia, who founded a dive rescue team in California, heard about the incident on the news and drove several hours to Garrapata Beach on Sunday to help in the search.
When Heredia arrived, he met with the sheriff and a rescue worker who thought the child had been swept south by the current. When the tide dropped later that day, he noticed that the water was moving north instead. Soon he was able to spot Anzi in the waves and bring her to shore.
“This incident shocked me because when I picked her up to walk to the shore, I remembered my daughter … when I carried her from my bed to my bed when she was about the same age,” Heredia said.
“Father was a hero. He was trying to save his daughter, and I think that's the nature of any parent.”
Anzi was found approximately 400 to 800 meters from where she was last seen and 90 meters from shore, Rosas said.
Beach famous for its big waves
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office responds to situations like this several times a year, Rosas said.
A series of storms in the area prompted a high surf advisory and large wave warnings on Friday.
Rosas said parts of the beach can quickly sink into very deep water, making the area even more dangerous.
“You can go five to 10 feet and you're already talking about very deep water on these beaches,” Rosas said.
Mike Dippel, chief ranger for California State Parks, said powerful waves ranging from 4.5 to 6 meters were seen Friday. He added that search efforts were carried out by boat and by air that day as the surf was too strong for rescuers to enter the water until Saturday.
“Unfortunately, this beach in Garrapata is notorious for having very large waves that are close to shore and at high tide the tide can rush onto the beach,” Dippel said.
“This is a terrible tragedy for this family.”
Dippel said visitors to the area should be aware of surf conditions, not turn their backs to the ocean and go to beaches with a lifeguard present. He also suggested asking them about the condition of the water.
