Fisherman dies after falling into sea along Big Sur coast

A fisherman from Marina died after apparently falling from the rocks into the rough sea near China Vista Point in Big Sur on Saturday.

At 1 p.m., several agencies responded to a visitor’s report about seeing a man floating in the ocean near the rocky shore, according to a news release from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.

The report said the man appeared to be a snorkeler, but family members and friends told KSBW TV that Alberto Hernandez, 25, had been fishing on the rocks, waiting for a friend to join him.

Lifeguards and emergency personnel from Cal Fire and State Parks recovered the man in a difficult operation along the rugged coast, the release said.

They brought him to shore, but despite immediate lifesaving efforts, the officials declared him dead at the scene.

The National Weather Service had issued a beach hazards statement for the Monterey coastline and a high-surf advisory for San Luis Obispo County shores.

“Large breaking waves of 10 to 15 feet with dangerous rip currents are expected,” the weather service said in the SLO County notice. “This creates an increased risk of ocean drowning as well as the potential for injury from breaking waves and being washed off beaches and rocks.”

Officials reminded residents and visitors that those conditions are expected to include high winds, dangerous surf, strong rip currents, rough shore break conditions and elevated waves.

Large waves and sneaker waves can surge unexpectedly surge onto the sore with tremendous force.

They urged people to stay away from the water’s edge, rocks and coastal cliffs, and to never turn their back on the ocean.

China Vista Point is about 67 miles north of the Monterey-San Luis Obispo county line.

This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 11:59 PM with the headline "Fisherman dies after falling into sea along Big Sur coast."

Kathe Tanner

The Tribune

805-781-7904 (voicemails only)

Kathe Tanner has been writing about the people and places of SLO County’s North Coast since 1981, first as a columnist and then also as a reporter. Her career has included stints as a bakery owner, public relations director, radio host, trail guide and jewelry designer. She has been a resident of Cambria for more than four decades, and if it’s happening in town, Kathe knows about it.