Amada Brown, 5, was found Thursday after a 30-hour search. Her family is now asking for compassion.
The 5-year-old girl who was swept into the Pacific Ocean at Laguna Beach has been identified as Amada Mia Brown of San Bernardino, after her body was recovered Thursday morning following a search that lasted nearly two days. Her father confirmed her identity at a vigil, where he remembered a little girl who loved the beach and was never afraid of the water.
The recovery brought a painful close to a search effort that drew multiple agencies and gripped Orange County, and it has prompted renewed warnings about a dangerous swell still battering the Southern California coast.
What happened
Amada went missing around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday near Treasure Island Beach, at the south end of Laguna Beach, when she, her mother and her sibling were swept into the ocean by powerful water conditions while near the shoreline. Bystanders rushed into the surf and managed to rescue the mother and Amada’s brother, but the girl could not be reached.
A multi-agency operation involving Laguna Beach Marine Safety, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard searched through hazardous conditions. Rescuers worked through large surf, powerful currents and limited underwater visibility before the Coast Guard suspended the search Wednesday evening, after more than 30 hours covering over 90 square miles.
Then, early Thursday, came the discovery. An aerial survey spotted the child 250 to 300 yards off Christmas Cove, about a quarter mile north of where she was swept away. Marine Safety personnel recovered her with help from the Harbor Patrol, and the Orange County coroner positively identified her.
A family’s grief, and a plea
Aaron Brown, Amada’s father, spoke at a vigil held for his daughter. He described her as a bright child who loved life, recalling that she loved Moana and Frozen and calling her his little princess.
He also addressed something uglier that has unfolded online. Brown said internet comments blaming Amada’s mother for the drowning are hurtful and causing the family additional harm, stressing that she was doing what any parent at the beach might do. He confirmed the mother and Amada’s brother have been released from the hospital and are home.
Laguna Beach Mayor Mark Orgill called it one of the most heartbreaking incidents he has witnessed in his time serving the community.
Why conditions were so dangerous
The tragedy struck during a powerful south swell that prompted official warnings days in advance. A Beach Hazards Statement from the National Weather Service warned of building wave heights and rip currents capable of quickly pulling swimmers out, with swells arriving Tuesday and strengthening through the day.
What makes incidents like this so sudden is that the family was not swimming. They were near the shoreline when a large wave reached them. Ocean safety experts note that during high surf events, so-called sneaker waves can surge far beyond the normal waterline without warning, knocking people off their feet and dragging them into deep water in seconds. Officials have urged the public to stay well back from the water’s edge while the swell persists, and lifeguards say anyone who is not an expert swimmer should stay out entirely.
If you are ever caught in a rip current, safety officials advise swimming parallel to the shore rather than fighting directly against the pull, and waving or calling for help if you cannot escape.
What happens next
The coroner’s office will formally determine the cause of death, a standard step in drownings. The hazardous swell is expected to continue affecting Southern California beaches into the weekend, and Laguna Beach officials are urging visitors to check posted conditions and speak with lifeguards before going near the water.
For the Brown family, the focus now turns to laying Amada to rest. Her father’s message to the public was simple: remember a joyful little girl, and let her family grieve without blame.