California Today

Two Bay Area College Students Die in Santa Cruz Surf Incident

17 June 2026 10:15

Two Bay Area college students died after being swept into the ocean near Santa Cruz. - Harshita Nair (21, UC Berkeley) and Mahial Sran (20, San José State) were both from Fremont.

- They were caught in a rising tide while near the 'keyhole' rock formation at Yellow Bank Beach. - Rescue crews recovered both but they later died from injuries.

- At least five rescues occurred in the same area in the previous month. Authorities warn of dangerous surf and hidden hazards at unguarded beaches.

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BerkeleyFremontSanta Cruzaccidentweathersafety