Tragic Surf Incident Claims Lives of Two Bay Area Students

WHO:

ABC7 Bay Area - Mahial Sran, 20, a San Jose State University student, and Harshita Nair, a student at UC Berkeley, were the two victims.

ABC7 Bay Area - Santa Cruz County Fire Capt. Kyle Breton provided details about the rescue efforts.

ABC7 Bay Area - UC Berkeley Student Body President Abigail Verino spoke about Harshita Nair's character and contributions.

WHAT:

NBC News - Two women died after being swept to sea during their visit to a Northern California beach.

Fox News - The two college students were reportedly napping near a beach archway when they were swept into the Pacific Ocean by rising tides.

ABC7 Bay Area - Rescue swimmers brought both Sran and Nair to shore, but both later died.

ABC7 Bay Area - A Beach Hazard Statement remains in effect along the coast.

WHERE:

NBC News - The incident occurred at a beach in Northern California, specifically in Santa Cruz County.

ABC7 Bay Area - The beach is located near Panther and Yellow Bank Beach, separated by a keyhole.

WHY:

ABC7 Bay Area - Changing tide conditions may have contributed to the incident, as noted by Capt. Breton.

ABC7 Bay Area - A sneaker wave may have been responsible for pulling the students into the ocean.

HOW:

ABC7 Bay Area - Eight rescue swimmers were deployed to assist in the rescue efforts.

ABC7 Bay Area - Capt. Breton explained that the tide had come in, making the keyhole inaccessible and leading to the students being cut off from safe options.

(UPDATED June 16, 2026 21:51 UTC)

Tragically, two college students, Mahial Sran from San Jose State University and Harshita Nair from UC Berkeley, lost their lives after being swept into the Pacific Ocean while visiting a beach in Santa Cruz County. The students were reportedly napping near a beach archway when rising tides and possibly a sneaker wave caught them off guard, leading to a rescue effort involving eight swimmers, though both were later pronounced dead. UC Berkeley Student Body President Abigail Verino spoke fondly of Nair's character and contributions, as a Beach Hazard Statement remains in effect along the coast.