A 5-year-old girl who was swept into the ocean at Laguna Beach, California, on Tuesday evening was found deceased on Thursday morning.
The Orange County Sheriff's Department coroner positively identified the child as Amada Mia Brown, and her family has been notified.
Incident Details
At approximately 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 13, Amada Mia Brown was at the water with her mother and sibling near Treasure Island Beach when a wave struck the group and swept them into rough surf. Bystanders entered the water and rescued the mother and the girl's brother. The child went missing in high surf conditions.
Recovery Operation
The girl's body was located approximately 250 to 300 yards offshore from Christmas Cove, about one-quarter mile north of Treasure Island Beach, during an early-morning aerial survey on Thursday.
Laguna Beach Marine Safety personnel recovered the body with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff's Department Harbor Patrol.
Search Efforts
Multiple agencies participated in the search, including:
- U.S. Coast Guard
- Orange County Sheriff's Department Harbor Patrol
- Laguna Beach Marine Safety Department
The U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search Thursday after more than 30 hours of searching, covering over 90 square miles.
Surf Conditions
On Tuesday, elevated surf conditions with swells up to 9 feet were reported in Laguna Beach, leading to beach hazard warnings across Southern California due to high waves and rip currents.
A powerful south swell produced waves of 5-8 feet at many beaches, with some areas—such as The Wedge in Newport Beach—experiencing waves over 20 feet.
A surf advisory for the area was set to expire Thursday, but officials warned of continued high surf through the weekend.