Mom who nearly died with daughter in NINE-foot sneaker wave days after tragic college students were killed breaks silence on ordeal, reveals what she won't be doing for a long time

Published: 22:08, 24 June 2026 | Updated: 22:28, 24 June 2026 The mom who was left in critical condition after rushing to help her seven-year-old daughter from a nine-foot 'sneaker wave' has broken her silence on the horrifying incident.  'I definitely do not plan on taking my kids to the ocean for a very long time,' Vanessa Bull, 28, told ABC affiliate KABC, after she and her daughter Mireina, were swept out to sea close to Baker Beach in San Francisco on June 18.  Within minutes of Bull and her children arriving on the beach from Sacramento, the two were pulled into the ocean.  'When I looked back and I just saw her head at the top, and I just ran and I jumped in and I tried my hardest to get to her,' Bull said. Luckily, the two were pulled from the water by bystanders and paramedics arrived at the scene shortly. The incident came just eight days after two college students were killed in another sneaker wave off the California coast. Harshita Nair, 21, and Mahial Sran, 20, both from Fremont, died on June 10 after being caught in a 'rogue wave' on a beach in Santa Cruz. Merely two days before that, Amanda Mia Brown, 5, was swept away by a large wave at Laguna Beach. Vanessa Bull, 28, and her daughter Mireina, 7, were in critical condition after being swept out to sea June 18. Baker Beach, where the incident occurred, is notorious for 'sneaker waves' and considered a dangerous, non-swimming beach The National Weather Service made a Beach Hazard Statement on June 12 due to the weather intensifying the dangerous conditions on Pacific Coast beaches A 'sneaker wave' is a disproportionately large, unexpected coastal wave that suddenly surges much farther up the beach than preceding waves. Baker Beach is one of the multiple San Francisco beaches notorious for sneaker waves and does not have regular lifeguard towers.  Officials say those beaches are treated as dangerous, non-swimming beaches. The San Francisco Fire Department has made many statements recommending beach-goers visit only beaches with lifeguards. 'We really caution that if you're coming from out of the area and even if you're in the area it's much safer to be on a beach with guarded waters,' said Dave Bodine, the Marine Safety Captain in a public service announcement.  Bull still hopes that stronger warnings and measures are added to keep people safe.  'I feel like beaches should be closed if the waves are like that.' The National Weather Service has had a beach hazards statement in effect since June 12 urging people to exercise caution due to the dangerous conditions along the entire Northern California coastline. The advisory has been repeatedly extended due to the conditions continuing to impact Pacific Coast beaches. During this time, people are directed to never turn their back on the ocean and to stay off any waterside infrastructure.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.