The search for a missing teenager who was swept away while swimming off Huntington Beach on Sunday evening is ongoing, with multiple agencies participating in the effort. According to KTLA, the incident was reported around 9 p.m. after the teenager and another swimmer went into the water near Lifeguard Tower 11, only for one to return. The missing teen, described only as a male, was part of a dual venture into unpredictable waters and has unfortunately not been found as of the last update.
Despite intense searching by divers and swimmers on Sunday night for an hour and a half, and a continuous search by both an Orange County Sheriff’s Department air unit and lifeguards on land through the night, there has been no sign of the youth. Crews are actively continuing to search for the teen Monday morning, Huntington Beach Public Information Officer Jennifer Carey shared with KTLA.
Further details on the effort are limited, Marine safety was at the forefront, with support from Newport Beach and State Park lifeguards, as noted by NBC Los Angeles. The other swimmer who made it to shore immediately called for help and reported his friend missing, prompting the search operation.
Moreover, conditions at the beach where the teen was last seen, between Twin Dolphin and Huntington streets, were known to have strong rip currents earlier in the day, CBS Los Angeles reported. Unfortunately, while the divers ceased their search in the water around 10:40 p.m., the search continued in the vicinity on foot, and air support was summoned with a chopper vigilantly scanning the sea and the shoreline the hopes for locating the teenager are growing slim.
