Canadian dad dies trying to rescue 5-year-old daughter who was swept into ocean by large California waves
A courageous Canadian father died attempting to save his 5-year-old daughter who was swept out to sea during California’s catastrophic flash flooding.Yuji Hu, from Calgary, Alberta, was with his wife and two children at Garrapata State Beach in Carmel when tragedy struck Friday, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office announced.The 39-year-old watched a large wave engulf his young daughter and drag her into the water before he raced in to save her.Waves estimated between 15 and 20 feet pushed the two out further into the ocean.“He jumped into the water to try to rescue his daughter, and in the process, mom also jumped into the water.It was reported to us that dad had a hold of his daughter at one point,” Monterey County Sheriff’s commander Andres Rosas said, according to NBC Bay Area.The girl’s mother had dove into the waters in an attempt to help Hu, but was unsuccessful in reaching her family.
However, she was able to get back on shore, where her two-year-old child was waiting.Hu was pulled out of the water by another beachgoer and an off-duty California State Parks Officer, who administered life-saving techniques on Hu.Hu was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.The unidentified mother was briefly hospitalized overnight in stable condition as she received treatment for hypothermia.She was released on Saturday.The 2-year-old child was not harmed during the disaster.Hu’s daughter, who was last seen wearing a white shirt, remains missing, officials said.
The outlet reported that the child was not wearing a life jacket.A multi-agency, large-scale search for the young child took place all of Saturday before it was suspended at sunset.A recovery mission will continue along the shores of Garrapata State Beach after the suspension of the search and rescue operation.The grieving family asked for privacy and wasn’t commenting on Hu’s death, police said.An atmospheric river battered much of the central and southe...