The body of a 5-year-old girl has been found after she was swept out to sea. According to KTLA 5, she was originally reported missing on Tuesday, June 9.
Authorities explained that the missing 5-year-old was in the water with her mother and sibling. But the powerful conditions near Treasure Island Beach in Laguna Beach, California, were powerful, leading to them needing to be rescued.
People managed to sweep in and save the mother and the other child. The conditions were so bad that two people who helped in the rescue effort needed to be hospitalized.
But, the girl was tragically left unaccounted for, and was later reported missing. The tragic incident occurred at around 7:30pm local time.
Her body was found on Thursday, June 11. The body was located around 250 yards offshore of Christmas Cove. According to officials, the area was around a quarter mile north of where she was originally swept into the ocean.
According to the New York Post, it took an aerial search to locate her body. Authorities released a statement about the tragic incident.
"Laguna Beach Marine Safety personnel responded to the location and recovered the decedent with assistant from the Orange County Sheriff's Department Harbor Patrol." This comes just a day after the Coast Guard announced they were suspending their search efforts.
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The Coast Guard Explained Why They Stopped the Search for the Body
Captain Stacey Crecy, the commander of the Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach, explained in a statement why the search was stopped.
"Suspending a search is an extremely difficult decision. We launched assets and responded as quickly as possible, continuously searching throughout the night and until sunset on June 10, 2026. We worked hand-in-hand with first responders in Laguna Beach to carry out a coordinated and thorough search of the area."
Footage obtained by the outlet showed high-powered flashlights were used during the frantic search for the girl.
This comes amid a period of extremely dangerous waves on the West Coast. Orange County was hit the hardest, with waves there measuring up to 8 feet high.
May she rest in peace.
