Santa Cruz beach tragedy: two college students die as waves and rip currents lash the California coast

Two college students, Harshita Nair (UC Berkeley) and Mahial Sran (San Jose State), were swept out to sea and died after a sudden swell hit a Santa Cruz beach amid dangerous rip currents and king tides. Nair died last week and Sran died in a local hospital on Sunday. Rescue crews pulled them from the water near a rock archway; authorities note the area has seen multiple rescue missions during the rough coastal conditions. Teasing this tragedy, a separate incident claimed a five-year-old girl’s life at Treasure Island Beach in Orange County the day prior.