Girl Still Missing After Wave Sweeps Her Family Out To Sea In Laguna Beach

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — A young girl was declared missing after she was swept out to sea with her family Tuesday evening in Laguna Beach, officials said Wednesday.

Marine Safety personnel were dispatched to reports of multiple swimmers in distress near Treasure Island Beach at around 7:30 p.m.

"Based on preliminary information, a mother and her two children were swept into the ocean by powerful water conditions while near the shoreline," Laguna Beach Marine Safety officials said in a news release.

Good samaritans entered the dangerous surf and rescued the mother and one child, but one teenage girl remains missing, officials said.

The search for the girl is ongoing and involves efforts from the Laguna Beach Marine Safety Department, the Orange County Sheriff's Department Harbor Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The investigation is ongoing as a powerful swell creates dangerous conditions across Southern California's coastal areas.

The National Weather Service issued a surf advisory for the entire Orange County coast due to dangerous surf conditions.

Residents can expect five to eight-foot waves Wednesday and Thursday, the National Weather Service said.

"A High Surf Advisory means that high surf will affect beaches in the advisory area producing localized beach erosion and dangerous swimming conditions," the NWS said.

Inexperienced swimmers were urged to steer clear of the waves until the advisory expires after Thursday evening.

According to the NWS, the highest surf will be at south-facing beaches and peak Tuesday and Wednesday.

"If you become caught in a rip current, yell for help, remain calm and do not exhaust yourself," the NWS said. "If you have to swim out of a rip current, swim parallel to shore and back toward the beach when possible."