Two friends, Harshita Nair, 21, and Mahial Sran, 20, were killed after being swept away by treacherous waves while napping near a keyhole on Bonny Doon Beach in California. The incident occurred last Wednesday, and the sheriff's office has now released the identities of the victims.
Shock and Grief
"I have no idea what happened. I am still in shock," Harshita Nair's father told the New York Post. The tragedy has left families and communities in mourning.
Rescue Efforts
A witness called 911 at around 5 p.m., prompting multiple law enforcement agencies to respond. Eight rescue swimmers entered the water. One woman was airlifted by helicopter to Yellow Bank Beach atop the bluffs and then taken to a local hospital. The other was brought to Panther Beach and carried to an ambulance in a Stokes basket.
Nair died shortly after being rescued, while Sran remained in critical condition at a local hospital until Saturday, when she succumbed to her injuries.
"Swimmers were able to locate the first victim and move them on to Panther Beach, where we began resuscitation efforts. A second victim was located further down shore and was pulled into Yellow Bank Beach. Then Copter 614, the Cal Fire hoist helicopter, was able to lift that patient off the beach, also with CPR in progress," a first responder told KSBW 8.
Victims Identified
Both friends were from Fremont. Nair was a legal studies major at UC Berkeley, set to graduate in 2027. Sran was a public health student at San Jose State University. They graduated together in 2023 from Washington High School in Fremont.
Dangerous Conditions
Santa Cruz County Volunteer Fire Captain Kyle Breton said the two were sleeping right at the keyhole, an area that often catches people unaware. "The tides come in and, in this case, they swept out two sleeping patients. But what we're also seeing is that people go through the keyhole to get to Yellow Bank Beach and then get trapped because the tides come in," he explained.
