CARMEL (CBS SF) — The body of a Carmel teen, who slipped and fell through into a blowhole while hiking along a Northern California beach, has been recovered, authorities announced Tuesday.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a body recovered at Garrapata State Park on Monday is that of 18-year-old Braxton Cooper Stuntz, who was swept out to sea on Saturday, Jan. 12.
Stuntz was hiking with a group of friends at Garrapata Beach, just south of Carmel, when he suddenly slipped and fell 15 feet down the blowhole.
His friends said he gave them a “thumbs up” and then vanished, as 14-foot waves that were 9-seconds apart crashed around him and swept him out, then underwater.
According to Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, Stuntz’s friends immediately went for help.
Members with MCSO Search and Rescue, Mid-Coast Fire, Cal-Fire, California State Park Rangers/Lifeguards, and CHP Helicopter helped in the search effort, but the teen was could not be located.