Brush with Danger
Celeste Glazer, a 51-year-old biotech executive, faced a perilous moment near her Capitola rental when a massive 20-foot wave nearly swept her away.
Despite the close call, she felt compelled to venture back to the beach in the darkness of night to recover her lost iPhone 14.
Her determination stemmed from a worry about her boss’s reaction, given that the phone was company-issued.
A Harrowing Experience
Evacuating her oceanfront apartment due to the dangerous surf, Glazer, accompanied by her daughter Bridget, returned later to retrieve belongings and a parking permit.
However, an unexpected high tide brought a colossal swell crashing over the wall, causing Glazer to stumble and nearly be carried away by the force.
It was only through Bridget’s quick action that her mother was saved, albeit at the cost of losing the newly acquired phone.
The Quest for a Lost Device
Despite warnings from family members and the late hour, Glazer was resolute in her pursuit to find the lost phone.
With the aid of technology, particularly the ‘find’ feature on her Apple watch, she tracked the device’s location to the vicinity, still powered and nearby.
Armed with mobile phones as makeshift torches, the family embarked on a search, pinging signals to locate the missing iPhone.
The Discovery
Their search led them to the sands where, guided by the strongest signal, they began digging.
About ten feet from where Glazer had lost her grip on the phone and buried a foot deep, a glimpse of purple plastic emerged—a case housing Glazer’s iPhone, miraculously intact and operational.
The jubilation was palpable as they felt akin to treasure hunters unearthing their prized possession.
California’s Coastal Turmoil
The backdrop to this dramatic incident was California’s tumultuous weather, besieged by a relentless coastal storm.
With towering waves and powerful swells wreaking havoc along the coast, closures of piers and warnings from authorities were rampant.
Instances of people being swept away by waves and emergency measures to safeguard beachfront properties exemplified the severity of the situation.
Meteorologists issued cautions about anticipated high surf, coastal flooding, and the potential dangers posed by sneaker waves, urging extreme caution and adherence to local authorities’ directives.