A boy was swept into the ocean. His story reveals the hidden danger of California’s sneaker waves Upon reaching the bottom of the steps leading to Cowell Ranch State Beach, 8-year-old Siddhant Pruthi grabbed a fistful of sand and turned to his older brother, Arunay. Ahead lay the Pacific Ocean and an afternoon free of the pandemic’s confinements. “ Dadabhai,” Siddhant said, addressing his 12-year-old brother with a Bengali term of endearment. “This is a bad beach.” He was referring to the rocks in the sand, nothing more. The boys’ parents walked over to greet their cluster of friends camped near the base of a cliff. The tight-knit pandemic bubble of four families often met along the San Mateo County coast on weekends. This was the Fremont family’s first time at Cowell, a secluded cove south of Half Moon Bay.