California residents urged to avoid ocean as high surf pounds coastline | US weather

California residents are being warned to stay off wharves, piers and other waterside structures as 20-30ft waves are expected to batter the northern Pacific coast for the rest of the week.

The National Weather Service advisory comes after a 150ft section of the wharf in Santa Cruz collapsed amid high waves on Monday, and storm debris was blamed for the death of a Santa Cruz county man on a beach in Watsonville.

In southern California, the coast guard announced on Thursday morning that it had suspended a search for two men who were missing after a fishing trip off the coast of Palos Verdes, NBC Los Angeles reported. The wreckage of a boat believed to be theirs was discovered on Tuesday.

“Inexperienced swimmers should stay out of the water due to life-threatening surf conditions,” the NWS warned in the Bay Area. “Never turn your back on the ocean.” The agency also warned of high surf and rip currents in the Los Angeles area.

In Santa Cruz, three city workers fell into the ocean but survived with only minor injuries when a large section of pier, including a restaurant that was closed, collapsed and floated away amid high surf on Monday.

Nearly 20 miles to the south, at Sunset State beach, California state parks and fire crews responded at around 11.30am on Monday about a man trapped under debris, a spokesperson for the Santa Cruz county sheriff’s office said. The man was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Around noon the same day, police responded to Marina state beach to reports of an adult male who had been “overcome by high surf and swept into the water”, the Marina police department posted on social media. Bystanders had attempted to rescue the man, but had been prevented by high waves and strong currents. As of Tuesday, the missing individual had not been located, police said.

“It’s total chaos,” Santa Cruz resident Bud Freitas told the Los Angeles Times, describing the impact of the waves. “I just did a drive through the south side of town and the beaches are all tore up. It looks like a bomb went off.”