Two Bay Area college students who died after being swept into the ocean along a dangerous stretch of the Santa Cruz County coast were remembered by friends and community members as officials renewed warnings about sneaker waves, strong currents and rising tides.
Fellow UC Berkeley students described Harshita Nair, a 21-year-old transfer student from Fremont, as “the kindest soul” and devoted to helping others. Fremont’s mayor mourned Mahial Sran, 20, as a young woman whose life was “filled with promise.”
The Fremont natives were found June 10 after being pulled into the water near Yellow Bank Beach, north of Santa Cruz. They were taken to hospitals but later died, authorities said…