Signs near the beach warned of "sneaker waves," the kind that suddenly roar ashore. Kuljian tossed a stick that took the dog down to the water's edge, and in an instant, authorities said, a wave swallowed it, setting off a nightmarish scramble.
"Everything kind of snowballed from there," said Coast Guard Lt. Bernie Garrigan. Kuljian's 16-year-old son, Gregory, ran to save the dog, only to be captured by the surging surf himself. Kuljian, 54, followed, and then his wife, Mary Scott, 57. On shore, their 18-year-old daughter, Olivia, and Gregory's girlfriend could only watch.
Both parents' bodies were later recovered, but the boy ? presumed dead ? is still missing. The dog eventually made it back to shore. News of Saturday's tragedy shocked many in the small college town of Arcata on the rough Northern California coastline about 280 miles north of San Francisco.
Students at Gregory's high school wore green in his memory Monday. By late afternoon, more than 1,300 people "liked" a Facebook page set up by the teenager's friends called "Wear Green for Geddie" ? using his nickname. Dozens tweeted tributes with the hashtag (hash)WearGreenForGeddie.
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