Some Days Disappoint
It was supposed to be a joyful visit to the beach with family, celebrating a young child’s birthday on Thanksgiving weekend. It ended in tragedy. A sneaker wave caught a 5 year old girl, her cousin and grandparents, and pulled them into the Pacific ocean. The grandparents and one cousin were able to escape, but the 5 year old girl was swept out. Grandpa went in after her. The young girl was recovered from the surface, but later perished. Grandpa, Pascal Soriano, went under, and didn’t surface.
Our team contacted the family to offer assistance after the surface search was called off. This is an incredibly difficult time for this family, and we wanted to help in any way possible. The family provided additional helpful information, and we planned our search.
Looking at the wave and weather forecast, our best shot was Saturday. We assembled a team of 6, with 2 boats, side scan sonar equipment, and dive gear.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature can sometimes be a harsh taskmaster. The distance from the launch ramp to our target was about 10 miles, and the sea was rough, with increasing wind and rain. Since we wouldn’t be able to do a reasonable sonar search, we decided not to launch, but to see what things looked like from the cliffs above the search site.
And ultimately, we had to end our efforts early that day.
The challenges with searching at Martins Beach go beyond dealing with bad weather and rough seas. There are many underwater (and above water) rocks that present major problems with acquiring decent sonar images. The cliffs tower hundreds of feet to the ocean below, where tides and wave action have created caves in the wall. And much of the land is privately held, with very few access points.
Fortunately, the major landowner in the area we needed to search was very sympathetic to our cause and the plight of the family. He was happy to provide access, as well as leading us to areas that are likely landing points if a body should float.
It’s always been my experience with this team that in times of great need, everyone wants to help, and this time was no different. Thank you, Ken.
So we changed our plan. Based on several other situations we’ve been involved with, where a body has surfaced in similar water temperature and similar depths, our estimate was 10-11 days for Pascal to surface.
This happens when the body’s microbes produce enough metabolic gases to lift the body. The biggest variables are temperature, water depth, and body composition.
So day 10 was our target, and we returned at low tide. Using binoculars, we hiked along the cliff tops, and along the beach, hoping for the best. We also brought drysuits and freedive gear to maximize our chances of recovery.
No luck. As we were leaving, the landowner showed us some additional locations, to make sure we did as thorough job as possible. Nothing again.
Day 11, back for our 4th day of searching. The surface was rough again, rougher than previous days. We scanned as much of the coastline from the surface as we possibly could, and descended to the water where possible.
We also walked south as far as possible, looked at the ocean foam and rocks from as many angles as possible, and ended the day in frustration. Ended the search in disappointment.
A good friend commented yesterday, “it’s a sad work you do”. I don’t think so. It’s a very sad situation for the families we serve. But to me, it’s a beautiful thing to be able to work with people who share a sense of commitment to helping others in profound need. My partners in California Recovery Divers are committed to helping people they’ve never met, and may never cross paths with in the future.
Some searches frustrate us. Some days are profoundly disappointing. But there’s a certain joy to being able to serve the community in our own way.
A GoFundMe account has been established to help the family of Yaretzi Biorato-Navarette and Pascal Soriano.
