Crescent Bay in Laguna Beach, California. Photo: Caleb Bennetts//Unsplash
A 24-year-old man drowned while swimming at Laguna Beach, California’s Crescent Bay on Monday evening. The tragic incident is the second drowning in the Orange County town this summer.
According to a release from the Laguna Beach Department of Marine Safety, a 911 call was made around 7:30 p.m. concerning a male that had gone missing in the water at Crescent Bay. Witnesses say they’d seen the man swimming with a friend and noticed he had struggled to stay above the water.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Laguna Beach Public Safety Staff, Newport Beach Lifeguards, and the U.S. Coast Guard all were dispatched to the area to search for the swimmer. Footage of helicopters over Crescent Bay appeared online in the evening, apparently part of the search effort. By 8:15 p.m., the Marine Safety’s dive team had located the swimmer, and he was transported to Mission Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
View this post on Instagram
As mentioned, Monday night’s incident is the second drowning death in Laguna Beach this summer. In June, a five-year-old girl was swept into the ocean at Treasure Island Beach alongside her family. Beachgoers immediately jumped into the water to help them, and were able to rescue the mother and one of her children. Amada Mia Brown, however, wasn’t found until days later.
Both incidents occurred during heavy surf conditions. On Monday, waves were fueled by Hurricane Genevieve, which brought sizable surf and strong rip currents. No doubt, California lifeguard departments and local safety officials will continue to warn beachgoers and even experienced surfers alike of the potentially hazardous conditions.
