Massive and fast-moving swells at San Franciscos Ocean Beach claimed at least one victim Wednesday as some of the biggest waves of the season are making one of Californias most dangerous beaches even more perilous.

At 3:44 p.m., a father and son were swimming in the water across the Great Highway from the Beach Chalet restaurant, the San Francisco Fire Department said Thursday.

The men, whom authorities did not identify, were spotted in trouble as waves relentlessly slammed the coastline. One wore underwear, the other basketball shorts, according to witnesses.

Arriving rescuers found one of the men unconscious who had already been pulled from the water. The other man was still in the ocean, unresponsive in the waves, firefighters said. Crews eventually pulled him out and rushed both men in ambulances to hospitals.

On Thursday, KTVU-TV reported that the father had died. Officials at the San Francisco medical examiners office said they could not confirm the report. The son remained in critical condition.

In another incident at Ocean Beach, Coast Guard crews rescued a 24-year-old man who became separated from his friends while surfing at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday. He suffered a broken finger and hypothermia.

A few hours earlier, the Coast Guard rescued two men from a disabled Jet Ski personal watercraft off Mussel Point north of Bodega Bay. The men, who were drifting toward big waves about 300 yards from shore, were unhurt.

Ocean Beach, known for its sneaker waves and powerful rip currents, is one of the most dangerous beaches in California.

A storm system that hit the Bay Area Wednesday brought with it 15-foot waves that slammed the stretch of coastline from the San Francisco Zoo to the Cliff House, said Larry Smith, a beach safety leader for the National Weather Service.

There are big, strong waves out there, Smith said. You have to worry about rip currents, but the waves are big enough and strong enough, they could wash people on the beach out into the water.

Originally posted here:

Report: Father dies after rescue at Ocean Beach