A girl who was swept into the ocean in Laguna Beach remained missing Wednesday as crews expanded their search efforts.
The girl was with her mother and a sibling when a powerful wave swept the trio into the ocean from the shoreline near Treasure Island Beach about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Bystanders rescued the woman and one child, but a girl described by city officials as an adolescent remained missing.
The ongoing search involved the Laguna Beach Marine Safety Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard.
“Marine Safety is expanding the search area beyond the victim’s last known location,” according to a statement from the city. “Members of the public may notice fewer personnel concentrated directly at Treasure Island Beach. This does not indicate a reduction in search efforts. Rather, it reflects a standard search pattern strategy in which resources are redistributed across a broader geographic area based on prevailing ocean conditions, currents, wave action and drift modeling.”
Waves exceeding 9 feet have been breaking along beaches in Orange and Los Angeles counties, prompting warnings from the National Weather Service and local agencies.
The high surf is not expected to subside until later this week.
“Search operations initially focus heavily on the last known location of a missing person,” according to the city statement. “As time passes, particularly during periods of large surf and strong currents, search teams expand outward to areas where conditions may have carried a person beyond the original search zone. This process requires personnel, vessels, aircraft and other resources to be deployed along additional sections of the coastline and offshore areas.”
Rescuers have been adapting their search strategy as ocean conditions continue to change, according to a city spokeswoman.
Officials urged anyone who notices anything unusual along the coastline to call 911 immediately.