The search for a young girl who was swept into the ocean off Laguna Beach Tuesday night will shift to routine shoreline monitoring on Thursday.
Laguna Beach Marine Safety and assisting agencies battled large surf, powerful currents and limited water visibility for more than 24 hours before calling off the dedicated search Wednesday night.
“This is one of the most heartbreaking incidents I have witnessed during my time serving this community,” Mayor Mark Orgill said. “Our hearts go out to the young victim’s family, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss.”
The young girl was in the water with her mother and sibling when all three began to struggle in the powerful conditions near Treasure Island Beach, at the south end of Laguna Beach, around 7:30 p.m.
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Unusually powerful surf hitting beaches in O.C. and across SoCal, prompted numerous lifeguard rescues since June 8, 2026. (KTLA) -
Rescue teams search on June 10, 2026, for a girl who was swept out to sea at Laguna Beach a day earlier. (KTLA) -
Rescue teams search on June 10, 2026, for a girl who was swept out to sea at Laguna Beach a day earlier. (KTLA)
Fast-acting beachgoers entered the surf and rescued the mother and one child, but the girl remained missing and unaccounted for. Authorities have not publicly identified her, but the girl is believed to be about 5 years old.
The incident comes as the Southern California coast is being pounded by some of the largest surf in years. Lifeguards at many beaches are advising people to stay out of the water.
“You get these lulls. It’s called a long-period swell,” Newport Beach Fire Department Chief Lifeguard Brian O’Rourke said Wednesday. “Then all of a sudden you get sets that are double or triple the size of the normal breaking waves.”
A hazardous beach conditions statement remains in effect through Thursday for Orange County coastal areas due to a south swell generating 4- to 6-foot surf, with sets up to 8 feet and dangerous rip currents.
“I think a lot of people, especially from out of town, don’t realize how treacherous the water can be,” one beachgoer told KTLA.
