Woman swept away by 'sneaker' wave while walking on California beach

A woman has died after being swept away by a "sneaker" wave while walking along a California beach.

Susan Archer, 32, was taking a stroll on Sunday near her home in Shelter Cove with her boyfriend and dog when the huge wave pulled her into the ocean.

Her body was found after a 45-minute search by boat and helicopter. Ms Archer's boyfriend was thrown against the rocks on the shoreline, but was not swept away by the wave. The dog was pulled into the water but managed to swim its way back to shore.

According to Fox News, Humboldt County Coroner David Parris said on Monday: "The entire shoreline of Northern California is very dangerous at this time of year. These waves can sneak up on you so quickly that you don't have the ability to swim or recover."

Sneaker waves are known in the area as those that rush ashore without any warning.

Back in November, a couple and their 16-year-old son died while trying to save the family dog from a sneaker wave during a walk along a California beach.

Howard Kuljian, 54, was playing fetch with pet dog Fran at Big Lagoon beach, near Arcata - around 280 miles north of San Francisco - as a 10-foot surf churned the water just feet away.

Kuljian had thrown a stick for his dog, which landed near the water's edge. The animal chased after it and, before they knew it, was swallowed by the huge wave.

His son, Gregory, 16, ran to save the dog but was captured by the surf himself. Kuljian ran in to help his son, who managed to pull himself back onto the sand.

But, realising his father was drowning, Gregory, along with his mother, went in to save him. All three died in the incident, while, in a cruel twist of fate, the dog survived.

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