A 9-year-old boy was swept out to sea Wednesday evening off a remote beach in northern Santa Barbara County.
The National Weather Service has issued warnings that dangerous high surf is slamming into the coastline along Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department Rescuers were notified at 4:15 p.m. that one of two boys playing in the surf was grabbed by a large wave and pulled out to sea by a riptide.
A significant rescue operation was planned to go into the late of night. Rescuers were using helicopters and four-wheelers to search for the boy because the area is so remote.
The incident happened in a remote section of coastline north of Vandenberg Air Force Base. An adult male observed the accident and told rescuers it took him several hours to hike from the coast to an area where he could call for help.
