Senah Park, 24, remains missing after an eight-hour Coast Guard search covering about 95 square miles off Panther State Beach.
SANTA CRUZ, CA — The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its active search for 24-year-old Senah Park, who authorities say was swept into the Pacific Ocean after a rising tide trapped her and friends near Panther State Beach in Santa Cruz County.
Park remained missing Wednesday after crews searched about 95 square miles using helicopters, boats and other resources. The Coast Guard said the coordinated search lasted about eight hours before active operations were suspended Monday afternoon. The agency publicly announced the decision Tuesday, saying the search could resume if new information develops. Park’s family and friends have continued looking along the coastline.
Santa Cruz County sheriff’s deputies first responded to Panther State Beach at about 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, after receiving reports that someone had been swept into the water. Authorities said Park was visiting the beach with friends when an incoming tide knocked several people from their feet. Three people who became trapped in the area were able to escape, but Park did not make it back to shore.
Cal Fire said the group had gone through a narrow coastal passage known as the Keyhole before the rising tide cut off their route. The formation connects areas of the beach beneath steep coastal cliffs and can become hazardous when water levels rise. One person who escaped suffered an injury that was not considered life-threatening, according to reports citing authorities.
The Coast Guard’s San Francisco command center was notified later Sunday evening that a person was in the water near Panther State Beach. Search crews included personnel aboard motor lifeboats and helicopters as well as drone support. Local agencies also used ground crews, aircraft and drones as the search continued into Monday.
Lt. Max Holloway, the Coast Guard’s search-and-rescue mission coordinator for Sector San Francisco, said suspending a search is a difficult decision. He said crews worked with partner agencies and used available resources in their effort to locate Park. Officials cited the extensive area already searched and environmental conditions in deciding to suspend active operations.
Park’s family and friends continued their own search after the official operation was suspended. Her father, Kwanghyon Park, told Lookout Santa Cruz that dozens of relatives and friends had divided into groups to search more than 10 miles of coastline. He asked people in the area to remain alert for any sign of his daughter. No confirmed sighting of Park had been reported as of Wednesday.
The disappearance occurred during a period of hazardous coastal conditions. Authorities had warned of high tides, sneaker waves and strong rip currents along parts of the Central California coast. Cal Fire said rising water can quickly flood beaches and cut off escape routes, while caves, alcoves and narrow rock formations can fill with water with little warning.
Panther State Beach, north of the city of Santa Cruz, has been the site of other serious ocean emergencies. In June, two college students were trapped near the Keyhole and swept into the water by a sudden swell. Rescue swimmers reached them, but both later died at a hospital. Officials have continued warning visitors that changing tides can make the beach’s confined coastal features especially dangerous.
Park remains missing. The Coast Guard’s active search is suspended pending further developments, while relatives and friends continue looking along the coast. Authorities have not announced that she has been found or released any new information establishing what happened after she was swept into the water.
Author note: Last updated November 11, 2026.