Body Found of Missing 7-Year-Old Girl Swept Out to Sea on California Beach, After Dad Died in Attempt to Save Her

The body of a 7-year-old girl who was swept into the ocean along with her father at Garrapata State Park in California on Nov. 14 has been recovered.

A diver discovered the body of the girl around half a mile north of where she was swept away by waves at the park at around 1:20 p.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 16, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) said in an update on Facebook. The girl was initially reported to be 5 years old.

“The diver brought the child to shore and notified State Parks. Monterey County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue assisted with the recovery. The Sheriff’s Office can now confirm that the recovered body is that of the missing child,” said the MCSO. The child has not been identified at this time.

On Nov. 14, deputies responded to reports of a girl who had been swept into the ocean by waves of around 15 to 20 feet high at Garrapata State Beach. Her father, identified as 39-year-old Yuji Hu, jumped into the water to try and rescue her and was carried further out to sea.

“An off-duty State Park Peace Officer (SPPO) lifeguard jumped into action when he spotted a family in distress near the water line at Garrapata State Park at about 12:50 p.m.,” the MSCO said in an updated news release. Hu was eventually pulled out of the waves and died in the hospital.

The mother of the girl also tried to assist in rescuing her daughter and was swept into the ocean. She managed to get back to shore and was hospitalized in a stable condition with mild hypothermia, per the release. A 2-year-old child was also present and injured in the incident.

Large-scale search operations were conducted by California State Parks, the MCSO, the U.S. Coast Guard, CAL FIRE, Monterey County Search and Rescue and the California Highway Patrol on Nov. 14 to locate the missing girl.

Authorities previously stated that the search was “suspended” at 9 p.m. on Friday due to “weather and lighting conditions.” The search continued on Saturday, with a “helicopter from the U.S. Coast Guard” also deployed.

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