Two young women from the San Francisco Bay Area have died after they drowned during dangerous ocean conditions last week at a beach in northern Santa Cruz County.
Fremont residents Harshita Nair, 21, and Mahial Sran, 20, died Thursday and Saturday, respectively, after being swept into the water near Yellow Bank Beach last Wednesday, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.
Last week, Santa Cruz County Volunteer Fire Captain Kyle Breton said on X, formerly Twitter, that the two women were likely swept out into the ocean by a rising tide. He said eight rescue swimmers assisted in the search and were able to get the women out and transported to local hospitals.
Breton said the area’s quick rising tide often “catches people unaware” and warned the public to be cautious when visiting the beaches.
Sheriff’s office spokesperson Ashley Keehn told Lookout the coroner hasn’t yet officially determined the cause and manner of death.
Nair and Sran both graduated from Washington High School in Fremont in 2023, according to their LinkedIn profiles. Sran was studying public health at San Jose State University, while Nair was a legal studies major at UC Berkeley; both were scheduled to graduate in 2027.
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