NORTH COAST – A foggy cliff-top vigil for two missing UC Santa Cruz students Wednesday drew more than 100 friends and family of Shireen Agha Ahsan and Ahmad Solaiman Nourzaie to mourn and search.

The pair was part of a group of five students who climbed down a rope to reach a rocky outcrop south of Bonny Doon Beach in Coast Dairies State Park on Monday. In 10- to 15-foot surf, Ahsan, Nourzaie and another man were swept off a rock into the ocean. The other man made it to shore uninjured. The pair has not been found.

Jafer Baig, a cousin of Ahsan, said the group had visited the rugged beach before.

“It was not even supposed to be a hike, just some sightseeing,” Baig said of the trip.

He described Ahsan, a 2014 graduate of Gunn High School in Palo Alto, as an adventurous and outdoorsy 19-year-old. She played classical piano, sang with a soothing voice and planned to study computer science, Baig said. He said she had a happy and bubbly personality.

“She was one of those kids who did very well in school, never got in trouble. It’s one of the saddest days for our family,” said Baig.

During the vigil, mourners exchanged hugs and shed tears. Others looked out at the ocean for signs of the pair. Gray waves pounded the rocky cliffs and caves.

The vigil included Muslim prayers led by Nabi Raza Abidi of the Saba Islamic Center in San Jose.

“For the family members, they want to see their beloved ones. We urge all of you to pray,” Abidi told the group.

Nourzaie’s mother, Jamla Nouzaie, solemnly looked at the ocean.

“We keep looking. He should be found. I want to see his eyes,” Jamla Nouzaie said. “For me it’s very hard. They will be found.”

After searching 46 square miles during a 22-hour period, Cal Fire and the U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search for the students about 5 p.m. Tuesday.

THE SEARCH

A Coast Guard helicopter crew, Cal Fire helicopter crew, two Coast Guard boats, State Parks rangers and Santa Cruz Fire rescue swimmers participated in the search.

State Parks Lifeguard Supervisor Eddie Rhee-Pizano said rangers and lifeguards continued to search North Coast beaches on Wednesday. Friends and family of the pair also fanned out and checked beaches.

The wave size dropped to about 8 to 10 feet on Wednesday, according to Surfline.com. There were clouds and fog but no rain, unlike Monday night and Tuesday.

“With the size of the surf, the tide and the rain, we’ve been out here doing our best,” Rhee-Pizano said.

Rhee-Pizano said the fixed rope that the students descended will be removed. He said rangers have removed similar ropes with metal stakes at many cliffs in the area in the past, yet visitors continue to install them.

Authorities have warned North Coast visitors to check a tide chart before visiting and be wary of rising tides in the area. Rising tides have trapped many visitors at nearby beaches such as Panther Beach and prompted numerous rescues in recent years.

A high tide of 3.4 feet about 6:45 p.m. Monday hindered rescue efforts.

Wednesday, some friends of the family of the missing pair thanked authorities for their work while others criticized them for not searching harder for their remains.

Kazim Ahsan, a relative of Shireen Ahsan, said in a letter to UCSC students and administrators that he hoped that Wednesday’s the vigil would apply pressure on the Coast Guard to continue its search.

“In order to express our deep concern for the missing students and the lukewarm response of the Coast Guard, a community prayer service is organized at the site,” he wrote.

Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Jake Urrutia said its rescuers “saturated” the area. He asked anyone with information to call 911.

“We can resume searching any time we have further information on their whereabouts,” Urrutia said Wednesday.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the missing persons,” said Capt. Greg Stump, commander of Coast Guard Sector San Francisco.

Ahsan was wearing a black zip-up hooded sweatshirt, a dark purple head scarf, black pants and black Converse shoes, according to her family and the Coast Guard. Nourzaie was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, a tan button-up shirt, dark pants and white shoes, the Coast Guard said. He is about 5-foot-11 and 140 pounds and has a beard, his family said.

Ahmad Solaiman Nourzaie, a senior from San Jose, was a College Nine student who majored in Earth and planetary sciences, UCSC representatives said. He returned to college after taking a break from his studies to care for his older brother, who had brain surgery.

FAMILY REACTS

“He wasn’t a typical college kid,” said Naseer Ahmed, Ahmad Solaiman Nourzaie’s brother. “He was a community leader, outgoing, humble and generous. He was the epitome of a practicing Muslim; a real diamond.”

Ahmed said his brother was active in the Afghani Muslim community in San Jose, helping kids and teaching Sunday school.

A cousin of Ahmad Solaiman Nourzaie, Farid Popal, said he “would have helped anybody” and liked the outdoors.

Ahsan, a sophomore from Palo Alto, was a Kresge College student, UCSC representatives said. She expressed interest in computer science and had not declared a major, according to her family and UCSC.

“We just want her back even if it is just to bury her. And I am sure the young man’s family feels the same way,” said Kulsoom Ahsan, cousin of Shireen Ahsan.

Baig, her cousin, described her as a smart, compassionate and multitalented young woman.

“I would have told you earlier that she would turn out to be a typical Bay Area computer genius. She was only 19 and beyond her years.”

UC Santa Cruz Chancellor George Blumenthal also expressed his sympathies to the victims’ families in an email to students, faculty and staff Wednesday.

“Ms. Ahsan and Mr. Nourzaie were early in their college and professional careers with promising futures ahead,” Blumenthal wrote. “It is heartbreaking to think they may no longer be with us. I want to extend my deepest sympathies to their families, friends and classmates at this very difficult time.”

Grieving UCSC students can contact the university’s counseling and psychological services at 831-459-2628. Faculty and staff can call the Employee Assistance Program at 831-459-3573.

Bay Area News Group reporter Joe Rodriguez contributed to this story.