Tragic Beach Death Elicits Important Ocean Safety Tips

In light of the , Santa Cruz Sheriff's Deputy April Skalland talked to Patch about ways to stay safe around the ocean.

Rekhi was playing in the surf when a 1,000 pound log washed in and pinned her. She was taken to Dominican Hospital and was later pronounced dead at Stanford Hospital.

Lara was in Santa Cruz with her family, staying at a vacation rental in the neighborhood near the beach.

Deputy Skalland's Beach Safety Tips and Reminders:

1. Waves can come in really fast so you have to be extremely careful.

2. Know what's inside the water. There can be logs that you can't even see, so be careful.

3. Even on the cliffs, people get swept away every year. 

4. Keep an eye on your kids. The undertow can quickly take them before you even know it. 

5. Playing on logs might not seem dangerous because they are on the sand, but they can move slowly to the water and it just takes one good wave to knock you down. This can happen to adults too. 

6. People come here from out of the area and aren't familiar with this. They just think of it as a beach day. You don't know how fast the tide can come up and before you know it, you don't even have a beach to walk on anymore. 

Do you have more beach safety tips to add? Tell us in the comments!

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