Army soldier identified as Big Sur victim swept into ocean

(KRON) -- A man who was swept into the ocean at Garrapata State Park in Big Sur was identified by the Monterey County Sheriff's Office Monday.

The victim was Spc. Amanpreet Thind, a U.S. Army soldier and student at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, the sheriff's office said. Thind and two women were dragged into the water by powerful waves at Soberanes Point on Saturday afternoon.

A 911 caller told dispatchers that people in the water were yelling for help. The two women made it back to shore and suffered minor injuries. Thind, 35, of New Jersey, disappeared in the rough surf.

Less than two hours later, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew spotted a body floating along Big Sur's rugged coastline. The Coast Guard team lost sight of the body in the water.