Family organizes private search for missing US Army specialist in Big Sur waters

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- The family of the U.S. Army specialist swept out to sea in Big Sur last month continues to search for him.

They have organized a private search in the hopes of finding closure in the disappearance of 35-year-old Amanpreet Thind from New Jersey.

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Thind has been missing since November 22, when he was swept off the rocks and into the ocean at Soberanes Point with two women. Those two women were able to rescue themselves.

A dive team equipped with sonar and big wave search and rescue jet ski operators were hired to help.

His brother Gaganpreet Thind is still holding out hope.

"We can't give up," Gaganpreet Thind said. "My parents are 70 years old. They need a closure, and until we find him, there's no closure. So we really need to find him. And we're not going to give up until we actually find him. And I hope this does not take long. I hope we find him today, tomorrow, anytime soon."

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After five full days and rough ocean conditions, local agencies had to call off their search efforts for Thind last week.

California State Parks officials say the conditions are dangerous so only experts should take part in the search.

Thind's disappearance happened just days after a father and his 7-year-old daughter were also swept away and died on the same beach.