A 24-year-old man died after apparently drowning Monday evening while swimming with a friend in Laguna Beach's Crescent Bay, triggering a search that brought lifeguards, a sheriff's helicopter and the U.S. Coast Guard to the water. Authorities had not released his name Tuesday.
Laguna Beach Public Safety Dispatch received a 911 call at 7:28 p.m. after the man went under and was reported missing, according to Los Angeles Times. A witness said he had been struggling to stay afloat before disappearing.
The city's Marine Safety Department advises people to swim near a lifeguard and with a buddy, noting that not every beach has lifeguard coverage at all times. It also warns that ocean conditions can be unpredictable and that rocky outcroppings along the coast pose additional hazards, according to the City of Laguna Beach.
Search Brings In Lifeguards, Helicopter And Coast Guard
The search was led by Laguna Beach public safety staff and included an Orange County Sheriff's Department helicopter, Newport Beach lifeguards and the U.S. Coast Guard. The Marine Safety dive team located the swimmer at 8:13 p.m. and transported him to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, where he was later pronounced dead, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The death follows a separate fatal ocean emergency near Treasure Island Beach on June 9, when an adolescent girl was swept out to sea. In a June 11 update, the City of Laguna Beach said Marine Safety personnel recovered the decedent with help from the Orange County Sheriff's Department Harbor Patrol, while the county coroner handled identification and cause-and-manner findings.
