Dad dies saving 12-year-old daughter swept to sea off California coast, rescuers say

Chilly ocean currents swept a man away Christmas Eve after he rescued his 12-year-old daughter from the sea off Carmel, California, KSBW reported.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials say the girl’s inflatable raft had been carried away from Carmel River State Beach at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, KPIX reported.

Crews spent several hours searching for her father, who had saved his daughter before being carried off himself, KSBW reported. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Rescuers took the girl to a Monterey hospital to be treated for signs of hypothermia, Bay City News reported on KNTV.

Water temperatures off Carmel average around 57 degrees Fahrenheit or less in December, according to SeaTemperatues.org.

Another father died in June after diving into the ocean to save his son, who had wandered into the breakwater at Monastery Beach in Carmel, The Monterey Herald reported.

This story was originally published December 26, 2019 at 7:13 AM with the headline "Dad dies saving 12-year-old daughter swept to sea off California coast, rescuers say."