SAN PEDRO, Calif. — Coast Guard suspends its search for a missing swimmer off Huntington Beach, California, at approximately 8 p.m., Monday.
At approximately 9 p.m. Sunday, Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach watchstanders received a report from the Huntington Beach Lifeguards of a missing 15-year-old male who disappeared while swimming with friends near lifeguard tower 11, south of Huntington Beach Pier.
A Coast Guard 45-foot response boatcrew from Station Los Angeles-Long Beach, an Air Station San Diego Jayhawk helicopter crew, and the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Blackfin were dispatched to search the area.
Coast Guard crews, alongside partner agencies, worked through Sunday night and Monday until the Coast Guard suspended the search at 8 p.m., Monday.
“The decision to suspend an active search is never easy and is only made after exhaustive efforts to find the missing person,” said Capt. Stacey Crecy, commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach. “Our hearts ache for his family and friends.”
Numerous partner agencies responded, including Huntington Beach Lifeguards, Orange County Fire Authority, Huntington Beach Fire Department, and Huntington Beach Police Department. The search spanned from the Bolsa Chica Wetlands to Newport. Coast Guard crews searched by air and sea for nearly 20 hours, covering approximately 105 square miles.
The waves were approximately three to five feet high with strong rip currents throughout the day Sunday.
The Coast Guard urges beachgoers to exercise caution prior to entering the water. Strong rip currents can be dangerous, even for the strongest swimmers. A rip current is a narrow, fast-moving channel of water that starts near the beach and extends offshore through the line of breaking waves.
Safety Tips:
1. Avoid swimming in areas where rip currents are present.
2. Swim at beaches with lifeguards and follow their guidance.
3. If caught in a rip current: stay calm, keep your head above water, and avoid struggling against the current.
4. The best way to escape a rip current is by swimming parallel to the shore instead of towards it.
Please report any life-threatening or on-water emergencies to Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach command center at 310-521-3605.