Monterey Co. coroner IDs 7-year-old girl swept into sea while with family

GARRAPATA STATE PARK, Calif. - The body of a missing 7-year-old girl has been recovered and identified after she and her parents were swept from a beach out into the ocean in Monterey County on Friday. The girl's father died in this incident. 

The Monterey County Coroner's Office has identified the girl as Azi Hu, 7, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 

The girl’s body was found by a diver about 100 yards offshore and about half a mile north of Garrapata State Beach along Highway 1, where she was last seen.

The backstory:

The girl – who was initially reported to be 5 years old by sheriff's officials – was pulled from the shoreline by a roughly 15 to 20-foot wave on Friday afternoon, according to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.

Her father – 39-year-old Yuji Hu of Calgary, Canada – entered the water to try and save her, but both were carried farther out to sea. The father was identified by officials over the weekend. 

The girl's mom then tried to reach out to both of them, but was swept into the ocean herself. However, she was able to make her way back to shore. She was initially taken to the hospital for hypothermia, but was treated and released. 

The family's 2-year-old child was unharmed.

"A beachgoer and an off-duty California State Parks officer were able to bring Hu back to shore and immediately initiated CP," the MCSO said. "He was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased. The child’s mother was treated for hypothermia and subsequently released."

A multi-agency search effort was launched to find the girl on Friday. CAL FIRE, the U.S. Coast Guard, California State Parks, Monterey County Search and Rescue, and California Highway Patrol were involved. U.S. Naval Air Station Lemoore was also assisting search efforts.

Authorities suspended search efforts overnight, but they resumed again at sunrise on Saturday. However, the Saturday search continued through sunset with no sign of the missing girl.

What's next:

At this time, the family is asking for their privacy to be respected as they grieve. They have thanked all the agencies involved for the search and recovery of their loved ones at sea.