The Monterey County Herald

A 27-year-old man from San Luis Obispo was swept out to sea early Saturday while camping at Limekiln State Park early Saturday, officials reported.

The state Department of Parks and Recreation reported that Christopher Partridge had been camping and hanging out with friends when he was swept off the beach by a large wave around midnight. A friend tried to rescue the man but was almost swept under when another large wave hit the shore.

According to the San Luis Obispo Tribune, Partridge and a friend were watching waves at the Big Sur campground when Partridge crept toward the waterline. A wave pulled Partridge into the surf.

His cousin, Eric Kleiner, tried to go after him while someone else ran to the campground for a rope, news reported stated.

Rescue efforts and search parties were called off Sunday afternoon after the Big Sur Fire Brigade, the U.S. Coast Guard and Monterey County Search and Rescue failed to find the man. A spokesman with the U.S. Coast Guard reported that rescuers in a helicopter and a patrol boat were at the scene for almost eight hours before it was called off.

Relatives told the Tribune that Partridge loved to travel and had visited 21 countries. Kleiner told the newspaper that the pair had been planning a trip to Scotland in 2009.