Up Date...Rogue wave drowns 3 along California Coast; 2 survive

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Authorities today identifed three young men who were swept to their deaths off Point Mugu on Thanksgiving day after a wave pulled them and two companions into the water.

The victims were identified as brothers Marcello Ramos Vasquez, 17, and Catalino Ramos Vasquez, 19, and their friend Pedro Avila Ramos, 22, all of Oxnard, said Shasta Gainer, a Ventura County deputy medical examiner. The three were standing with two friends at the water's edge on the landmark Mugu Rock, taking photographs of the ocean about 1:50 p.m. Thursday when they became nervous, Gainer said.

"They saw that the waves were strong, and they realized that it was dangerous, so they attempted to make their way back from the water lines," said Gainer, who interviewed one of the survivors. "A big wave came, and he told me all of them got knocked in the water and he told me he was lifted up by a swell and grabbed onto a rock."
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Three men enjoying the ocean view at Point Mugu were swept to their deaths Thursday afternoon by a wave that pulled them into the water along with two companions who were able to scramble to safety, authorities said.

The victims -- ages 17, 19 and 21 -- were standing at the water's edge on the landmark Mugu Rock taking photographs of the ocean about 1:50 p.m. when a wave knocked them into the surf, Ventura County sheriff's officials said.

Two of the men managed to haul themselves out of the water and shout for help, and a passerby dived into the choppy ocean to try to save the other men, said Senior Sheriff's Deputy Julie Novak.

Kathryn Barrona said she took off her shoes and jumped into the chilly water when she saw one of the men floating face down. She managed to swim out and haul him back against the current and crashing waves, but he was already dead.

"It was really bad," said Barrona, 24, who had been sitting with her sister on the rocks before she realized the men were in trouble. "I couldn't tell you how cold the water was. I didn't realize how bad the current was."

Barrona said the waves and current smashed her against the rocks. She felt exhausted by the time she reached land. She threw up, then noticed that another man was in the water, but she was unable to go back out.

A sheriff's helicopter searched for the remaining two and recovered their bodies.

The area, a popular destination for fishing, climbing and sightseeing, has long been known for its danger as well as for its beauty. Earlier this year, high waves swept a 16-year-old boy off the rock as he was fishing with relatives.

Novak said strong currents make it very difficult for people to swim to safety if they fall on the treacherous rocks.

"It is just very dangerous," she said. "It's very deceiving. It looks like it's very calm, but if you do get knocked in, it's very difficult to get out of the water."

A storm had moved through the area a day earlier, but ocean conditions were fairly normal Thursday afternoon, said David Gomberg, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

He said waves along the Central Coast were about 3 to 4 feet -- hardly dangerous conditions.

"This time of year, we can get a lot worse conditions in terms of winds and waves," he said.

Novak said the wave that hit the men was about 3 feet high but that the area's surf can be deceivingly powerful.

She said all five of the men lived together in Oxnard and some were related.

One of the survivors was identified as Pedro Vasquez, 27. The names of the others were not immediately released.

12 hours ago

POINT MUGU, Calif. (AP) — Three men have drowned after being swept out to sea by a rogue wave while watching the surf from a rocky outcrop along Southern California's coast.

Authorities say two other men were pulled from the water Thursday afternoon and survived.

The bodies of the drowned men were also recovered.

Capt. Bruce Norris of the Ventura County sheriff's department says the victims are 17, 19 and 21.

He says a 17-year-old boy and 27-year-old man survived.

It wasn't immediately clear if the men were related.

The wave struck just before 2 p.m. at Mugu Rock, a rocky outcrop that has appeared in the background of many TV shows, movies and car commercials.

The rocks at Point Mugu, about five miles west of the Los Angeles County line, draw fishers and hikers. The area is a frequent scene of tragedy, with numerous drownings and injuries from debris falling from the crumbling shale cliffs.

A 16-year-old boy drowned there earlier this year while fishing.