Missing Swimmer Search Called Off at Laguna Beach

A missing swimmer reported yesterday along the Laguna beach coastline caused a two day search by Orange County Lifeguards and the Laguna Beach Police.

That search order was cancelled Wednesday morning, June 29 at 9 a.m. when rescuers were unable to find any evidence than a swimmer had gone missing or drowned. Current thoughts are that wildlife might have been misconstrued as a swimmer in distress.

The original call for a swimmer struggling off the coastline came in just after 7 p.m. Tuesday, with a report of someone 50 yards off shore.

"The caller said they saw someone waving with their hand up,'' Laguna Beach police Sgt. Tim Kleiser said.

According to Kleiser, Orange County Lifeguards and divers searched for the swimmer in the water, and an Orange County Sheriff's Department helicopter crew scouted the area from the air.

"The search was called off at 8:30 p.m. due to darkness, but resumed this morning," he said.

At 9 a.m. the search was cancelled when lifeguards and divers could not find any evidence of a swimmer in distress.

"There have been no missing persons reports and there were no signs on the beach that someone had gone into the water and not returned, such as an abandoned surfboard or beach bag," Kleiser said. "Some of the people out there thought maybe it was some wildlife out there in the water -- they weren't really sure -- so we've had conflicting reports."

This report will be updated with more information as it unfolds.

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