A desperate search turned into a recovery effort Wednesday after a 5-year-old girl was swept into the ocean along with her mother and brother during dangerous surf conditions at a Southern California beach.
The incident unfolded around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Treasure Island Beach in Laguna Beach, where authorities say the woman and her two children were caught by dangerous water conditions near the shoreline.
A park ranger scans the horizon on June 10, 2026, at Laguna Beach near where a child was swept out to sea. Mindy Schauer/The Orange County Register via AP
Witnesses immediately jumped into the turbulent waters, pulling the mother and her young son to safety.
According to Laguna Beach Mayor Mark Orgill, the family was walking on the sand when a large wave surged and swept all three into the water.
People nearby rushed to help and managed to pull the mother and her son from the ocean.
A lifeguard rescue boat cruises around the area where a child was swept out to sea near the Montage Resort. Mindy Schauer/The Orange County Register via APThe young girl, however, disappeared in the surf and remained missing Wednesday.
Search crews from Laguna Beach Marine Safety, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol, and the United States Coast Guard continued combing the area.
A sheriff’s helicopter flies overhead, searching for a person off Treasure Island Beach in Laguna. Instagram/@LagunabeachPDAerial footage showed rescue personnel in the water around 8 a.m.
Orgill told CBS LA the operation eventually shifted from a rescue effort to a recovery mission.
Mayor Mark Orgill of the city of Laguna Beach. legunabeachcity.com
Emergency services responded to reports of swimmers in distress. Instagram/@LagunabeachPDTwo bystanders who assisted in rescuing the mother and boy were taken to a local hospital with unspecified injuries. Officials said both were in stable condition.
Authorities have not released additional details.
The tragedy comes as a powerful storm system offshore has created hazardous ocean conditions along the coast. The National Weather Service issued a Beach Hazards Statement that remains in effect through Thursday night as wave heights continue to increase.
Hours before the incident, the City of Laguna Beach posted a warning on Instagram about the dangerous beach conditions.
“Strong rip currents can quickly pull swimmers away from shore, and large surf creates hazardous conditions for swimmers, surfers, and anyone near the water’s edge,” the post’s caption says.
