Laguna’s Treasure Island Beach. Photo: CaliforniaBeaches.com
A young girl is still missing after she was swept into the ocean in Laguna Beach, California Tuesday afternoon. Officials confirmed early Wednesday that the swimmer had been swept out to sea alongside her mother and sister near Treasure Island Beach around 7:30 p.m.
According to multiple reports, nearby beachgoers jumped in the water to save the family and were able to rescue the mother and one child. The search is still ongoing for the other child, officials said, with the Laguna Beach Marine Safety Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard all working together.
“Based on preliminary information, a mother and her two children were swept into the ocean by powerful water conditions while near the shoreline,” Laguna Beach Marine Safety officials said in a news release.
The incident occurred as Southern California is seeing its largest south swell of the season. Surfline said it could be one of “the biggest in the last decade,” as other Southern California beaches saw sizable surf throughout the day. Buoy readings measured the swell at 4.5 feet at 19 seconds, hitting the coast at a relatively sharp southerly angle and lighting up Orange County wave magnets like the Wedge and Newport Beach. The large surf is expected to sustain through Thursday, prompting the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue a a Beach Hazards Statement that will be in effect until Thursday evening.
After addressing and outlining advice for everyday swimmers if they find themselves in a rip, the NWS said the “highest surf will be at south-facing beaches and peak through today (Wednesday). Swell and surf will slowly subside beginning Thursday with a shorter period, but will remain elevated into Friday.”
