Heartbroken Dad Demands Truth: ‘They Weren’t Sleeping’ – Final Moments of UC Berkeley Student and Friend Swept Away by Deadly Sneaker Wave
The families of two Bay Area friends who were killed after a freak wave swept them out to sea last week have spoken about the tragedy, as tributes continue to pour in for the young women.
College students Harshita Nair, 21, and Mahial Sran, 20, both from Fremont, died after a “sneaker wave” pulled them from a keyhole at Panther Beach in Santa Cruz County last Wednesday, as dangerous swells battered the coastline.
According to officials, the pair had passed through the keyhole in Bonny Doon to sunbathe when the deadly wave cut off their escape route shortly before sunset.
Nair was a legal studies major at UC Berkeley and was expected to graduate next year, while Sran was pursuing a degree in public health at San José State University and was set to graduate in 2027.
Sran’s younger brother, Aagman, described his sister as a caring and responsible young woman who always looked after both him and those around her.
“She always took care of whatever needed to be done,” the 17-year-old told The California Post. “She always delivered.”
Aagman also noted that Panther Beach is widely regarded by locals as a dangerous location.
“That specific part of the beach is known to be dangerous,” he said.
Both Nair and Sran graduated from Washington High School in Fremont in 2023.
Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan said the women’s “young lives were filled with promise” in a statement posted to Facebook on Tuesday.
“Our Fremont community is heartbroken by the tragic loss,” he wrote. “My deepest condolences are with their families, friends, classmates, and everyone grieving this unimaginable loss.”
Salwan also urged residents to remain cautious at local beaches as powerful southern ocean swells continue to impact the California coastline.
“Sneaker waves, strong currents, and rising tides can strike without warning,” Salwan said, adding, “Never turn your back on the ocean.”
Sran was also honored by officials at San José State University, where spokesperson Michelle Smith McDonald said the “entire SJSU community shares in the grief felt by those who loved and cared for her.”
At UC Berkeley, where Nair worked at the student union, university spokesperson Ellen Top said her death had brought “immense sadness” to the campus community.
Nair’s father challenged initial reports suggesting the women had been sleeping when the wave swept them into the ocean.
“They weren’t sleeping there, because their bags were completely dry,” Ahock Nair told the Post, referring to the victims’ tote bags. He argued that if they had been asleep, they would not have been resting away from their belongings.
“If they were sleeping, their bags would also have gone along with them, or would have been completely wet,” he said.
In the days following the incident, fire officials retracted earlier statements indicating that the women appeared to have been sleeping when they were pulled into the sea.
Nair’s online obituary described her as “a cherished sister, granddaughter, and a treasured friend to so many.”
“In her short but beautiful life, Harshita left an unforgettable mark on everyone fortunate enough to know her,” the obituary read.
The recovery of the two women marked the fifth water rescue operation carried out by first responders along a short stretch of Santa Cruz County coastline over the past month, according to Cal Fire spokesperson Michael Horn.
Less than 24 hours earlier, a deadly wave had claimed the life of a five-year-old girl at a beach in Laguna Beach.
