The Brief Active search and recovery operations for a young girl swept into the ocean on Tuesday evening have officially concluded, transitioning to routine shoreline monitoring. A powerful wave driven by a historic summer south swell swept a mother and her two children into the surf near Treasure Island Beach; bystanders rescued the mother and one of the two children. Regional agencies searched coastal and offshore waters for over a day amid treacherous 9-foot breaking waves and powerful rip currents that are expected to persist through Thursday evening.



A rescue effort turned to a routine recovery watch on Thursday morning after emergency officials officially ended their dedicated search for a young girl who was swept into the ocean in Laguna Beach.

The young victim was pulled out to sea by a powerful rogue wave on Tuesday evening during a historic, 9-foot summer south swell that also engulfed her mother and sibling before heroic bystanders rushed into the surf to pull the other two family members to safety.

What we know:

The incident happened around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday near Treasure Island Beach, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

High surf pounding Southern California beaches created dangerous conditions, producing a wave that swept a mother and her two children off the shoreline and into the ocean.

Witnesses on the scene immediately intervened and successfully rescued the mother and one of the children. However, the second child, described as a girl believed to be 5-years-old, could not be reached and remains missing.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Search continues for missing girl swept into ocean in Laguna Beach

Crews from the Laguna Beach Marine Safety Department, the Orange County Sheriff's Department Harbor Patrol, and the U.S. Coast Guard spent Wednesday searching coastal and offshore areas using boats, personal watercraft, aircraft, dive teams, and shore-based personnel, but were unable to locate the girl.

The dangerous water conditions are being driven by a high surf event affecting both Orange and Los Angeles counties, with breaking waves reaching heights of u

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