Oh, how terribly sad!

Family swept out to sea in attempt to save dog

Howard Kuljian and his family were out for a walk on a damp, overcast morning at Big Lagoon beach, playing fetch with their dog Fran as 10-foot surf churned the water just feet away like a washing machine.

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," Coast Guard Lt. Bernie Garrigan said.

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.

Ironically, the dog did manage to make it back to the shore. This poor girl has lost her entire family. I love to be near the beach, but I do not go into the ocean because the waves make me very nervous (I am a weak swimmer). But these sorts of waves grab you when you're down by the water's edge. I don't think I'll ever think of an idyllic beach setting the same again.