A California father has reportedly drowned after jumping into the ocean to try and rescue his two young children who are both still missing and presumed dead.
The unidentified father was visiting Blind Beach in Sonoma County on Sunday when he noticed that his two children, a 6-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy, were swept up by large waves while playing close to the water, according to KRON 4.
“What we learned was that two children were playing close to the water on Blind Beach and they were swept out to sea,” Sonoma County Sheriff’s official Lt. Michael Raasch said, according to NBC Bay Area. “The father, who was nearby, jumped into the water to try and save the kids.”
The man was able to reach one of his children but wound up drowning, according to ABC 7. The man’s friend and wife dragged his body out of the water.
Father drowns trying to save his children at California beach #GMN https://t.co/dfeBvXwl2K
— WKRN News 2 (@WKRN) January 4, 2021
Both children have still not been found and the rescue mission has since turned into a recovery mission, according to the report. (RELATED: REPORT: Woman Dies After Her Family’s ATV Falls Through Ice During Fishing Trip)
“When the cavalry got here, we were searching for the kids, we found a pair of shoes that washed up, and a jacket, but no sign of kids. We looked for hours,” Raasch said, according to ABC 7.
Raasch said conditions were “very rough” and that even experienced swimmers would have had trouble, according to the report.
The Daily Caller reached out to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department but did not receive a response at the time of publication.