Daijiworld Media Network – California

California, Jun 12: The body of a five-year-old girl who was swept into the ocean at Laguna Beach in California earlier this week has been recovered, authorities said on Thursday.

According to the Laguna Beach Marine Safety Department, officials spotted the child during an aerial survey conducted early Thursday morning. The sighting was made approximately 250 to 300 yards offshore near Christmas Cove, about a quarter-mile north of Treasure Island Beach, where the incident occurred.

Marine Safety personnel, assisted by the Orange County Sheriff's Department Harbor Patrol, recovered the body from the water. The Orange County Sheriff's Department coroner later positively identified the child and informed her family.

The girl had been in the water with her mother and sibling on Tuesday evening when powerful surf conditions swept them into the ocean. Bystanders immediately entered the water and successfully rescued the mother and one child, but the five-year-old was carried away by the strong currents.

The US Coast Guard conducted an extensive search operation covering more than 90 square miles over a period exceeding 30 hours before suspending the search after the recovery.

Officials said elevated surf conditions were reported along the Laguna Beach coastline on Tuesday, with waves reaching up to nine feet in some areas. The National Weather Service had also issued beach hazard warnings across Southern California due to high waves and dangerous rip currents.