A mother and her two children were swept into the ocean in Laguna Beach Tuesday evening when powerful waves created dangerous conditions. Authorities rescued the mother and one child, but the other child remains missing. A National Weather Service high surf ad
Tuesday evening in Laguna Beach, powerful waves turned a stretch of shoreline into an emergency scene. Around 7:30 p.m., the city’s Marine Safety Department responded to a call about swimmers in distress.
A mother and her two children were swept away into the ocean. People nearby rushed in and were able to rescue the mother and one of the children, but the other child remains missing, authorities said.
The incident happened as much of the Southern California coast is seeing hazardous conditions. The National Weather Service has a high surf advisory in effect in Catalina. the Santa Barbara islands. the Malibu Coast. and all Los Angeles County beaches. Hazardous beach conditions are expected for the San Diego and Orange county coastlines through Thursday afternoon.
The weather service warned that there is an increased risk for ocean drowning. Rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea, and large breaking waves can cause injury, wash people off beaches and rocks, and capsize small boats near shore.
The sequence of the call and the rescues underscores how quickly conditions can overwhelm people at the water’s edge. With one child still missing, the danger that officials described in the advisory is no longer abstract—it is tied to what happened minutes after Marine Safety was called.
Laguna Beach missing child high surf advisory rip currents ocean drowning risk Marine Safety Department Southern California weather