Search ends for 15-year-old swept out to sea swimming with friends, Coast Guard says

A 15-year-old boy swimming with friends vanished after being swept to sea in Southern California, the U.S. Coast Guard reported.

Lifeguards reported the boy missing at about 9 p.m. Sunday, July 28, the Huntington Beach Fire Department said in a news release.

The Coast Guard called off a search for the boy at 8 p.m. Monday, July 29, after looking for him overnight and through the next day with boats and a helicopter, a news release said.

The 20-hour search, also involving local fire agencies and lifeguards, spanned approximately 105 square miles, the Coast Guard said.

“The waves were approximately three to five feet high with strong rip currents throughout the day Sunday,” the agency said in the release.

Huntington Beach is about a 40-mile drive southeast from downtown Los Angeles.

What is a rip current?

Rip currents are “powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water” that happen on the coasts of the U.S. and in the Great Lakes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

About 100 people are killed by rip currents each year in the U.S., NOAA reported. Lifeguards rescue thousands of people from rip currents annually.

Experts say people can take steps to stay safe from rip currents, including:

• Check the local water conditions before getting in.

• Talk to a lifeguard at the beach about the conditions.

• Only swim at beaches where lifeguards are present.

• Don’t assume great weather means good swimming conditions.

This story was originally published July 30, 2024 at 1:07 PM with the headline "Search ends for 15-year-old swept out to sea swimming with friends, Coast Guard says."