Mom and child in serious condition after ‘sneaker wave’ dragged them out to sea in latest beachside horror

A mother and her pre-teen daughter were seriously injured after a powerful “sneaker wave” swept them into the Pacific Ocean Thursday — the latest victims in a string of deadly surf incidents battering California’s coastline.

The unidentified woman and girl were sucked out to sea at Baker Beach in San Francisco just south of the Golden Gate Bridge before they were rescued by other beachgoers who brought them to shore and called 911, San Francisco Fire Department officials said.

Fellow beachgoers rushed into action, pulling the woman and child from the water before calling 911.

Both victims were in critical condition when firefighters arrived, but first responders were able to stabilize them before they were transported to a local hospital in serious condition. Authorities did not release details about their injuries.

Fire Department officials said the incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of sneaker waves along San Francisco’s coastline and throughout California.  

Sneaker waves – defined as a powerful, unexpected rush of water – can surge much farther up the beach than expected, without warning, the officials said.

“These waves can sneak up on you literally and sweep you out into the water,” said San Francisco Fire Department Captain Jack Ayers.

Thursday’s rescue marked the second major sneaker-wave incident at Baker Beach in less than a month. On May 29, a fisherman was pulled into the ocean and hospitalized in critical condition.

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The close call came just two days after another woman narrowly survived a sneaker-wave encounter in nearby Pacifica.

Lilia Bae Cadotte said she was fishing Tuesday when a wave knocked her off her feet and carried her about 30 feet from shore.

 “The ocean is not our friend,” said Bae Cadotte. “She is not merciful.”

The frightening incidents are part of a deadly stretch along the California coast.

On June 9, 5-year-old Amada Mia Brown was killed after being swept from Treasure Island Beach in Laguna. The child was preparing to start kindergarten later this summer in her hometown of San Bernardino.

A day later, two best friends from Fremont died after sneaker waves swept them into the ocean near Panther Beach in Bonny Doon, according to Santa Cruz County fire officials.

Harshita Nair, 21, was a legal studies major at UC Berkeley expected to graduate in 2027. Mahial Sran, 20, was pursuing a public health degree at San José State University. Both graduated from Washington High School in Fremont in 2023.

The National Weather Service has issued a beach hazards warning through Sunday morning, citing an elevated risk of sneaker waves and dangerous rip currents along California’s south- and southwest-facing beaches.

Officials are urging beachgoers to stay alert and avoid standing on rocks, jetties and piers, where unexpected waves can quickly turn deadly.