California tourist dies after being knocked down by large wave in Pismo Beach, sheriff says

A woman visiting Pismo Beach with her family died after being knocked down by one of the strong waves that pounded the Central Coast over the holiday weekend, authorities confirmed.

According to San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tony Cipolla, 39-year-old Georgia resident Brindha Shunmuganathan and her family were staying at a Pismo Beach hotel when they decided to go down to the ocean and take pictures on Saturday morning.

Cipolla said while Shunmuganathan was photographing the surf, “a large wave came up, (and) knocked her and her two juvenile children down.”

The family was able to rescue the two children, but Shunmuganathan was repeatedly hit by waves and became stuck on a bed of rocks, Cipolla said.

Bystanders pulled her from the water and started CPR, but lifesaving attempts from emergency responders were ultimately unsuccessful, Cipolla said.

A call for emergency services was made from the beach access area of the Seacrest Hotel on Price Street at around 9:11 a.m., according to Cipolla.

Multiple organizations, including the Pismo Beach Police Department, Cal Fire and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office were involved in rescue efforts, which involved swim and dive rescue teams and an air support unit, a Cal Fire spokesperson told The Tribune.

Cipolla said the Sheriff’s Office is awaiting an autopsy to determine cause of death.