Two college students have been killed after being swept off a Santa Cruz County beach and into the sea by rising tides.

The victims were identified by Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office as Harshita Nair, 21, and Mahial Sran, 20, both from Fremont, California. 

The two women graduated together from Washington High School in 2023.

Both were set to get their college degree in 2027, Nair in legal studies at UC Berkeley and Sran in public health and psychology at San José State University.

Nair hoped to work in law and public service to directly help communities and expand their access to opportunity. 

At school, Sran was a member of the Public Health Peer Ambassadors club which hosts productivity workshops and social events to help public health students.  

It is believed that the two were napping near a keyhole when the waves swept them from the coastline of Bonny Doon beach last Wednesday.

In a statement by County Volunteer Fire Captain Kyle Breton, he explained the keyhole is an area that often 'catches people unaware.' 

The term 'keyhole' refers to a section of shoreline that allows access to a smaller stretch of sand, but only when the tide is out or waves are not crashing through it. 

'What we're also seeing is people go through the keyhole to get to Yellow Bank Beach and then they get trapped on Yellow Bank Beach because the tides come in,' Breton said.

The beach is known for having a steep surf line and strong currents that combine to create dangerous conditions. 

First responders with the Santa Cruz Fire Department and California State Parks responded to the scene and eight rescue swimmers were deployed in search of the two women.

According to Breton, one victim was found near Yellow Bank Beach, while the other was near Panther Beach.

They were both found and removed from the water before being transported to nearby local hospitals. 

Nair was declared dead soon after the rescue while Sran remained in critical condition until Saturday when she passed away. 

Local ocean rescue stated this was the fifth rescue performed in a month along a one-mile stretch of coastline, from Yellow Bank to Bonny Doon. 

According to the National Weather Service, these dangerous conditions have been generated by a long period swell that creates increased risk of strong rip currents and sneaker waves.

Local authorities have shared multiple warning statements about avoiding these hazards, such as staying off waterside infrastructure and never turning your back on the ocean.