Heartbreaking new information has come to light about the young girl who lost her life after being swept into the ocean by a powerful wave in Laguna Beach earlier this week.
Amada Mia Brown, a five-year-old from San Bernardino, was due to begin kindergarten this coming August. School officials confirmed she had been enrolled in the San Bernardino City Unified School District and was scheduled to attend a new student orientation next month. A district representative expressed condolences, saying the community grieves alongside her family during this painful time.
The tragedy unfolded Tuesday evening when massive waves struck the shoreline at Treasure Island Beach, pulling Amada, her mother, and her brother into the churning surf. Bystanders rushed into the dangerous water and managed to pull her mother and brother to safety. Tragically, Amada was carried further out and disappeared beneath the waves. Two rescuers were later taken to a hospital with injuries, though both were reported to be in stable condition.
Following her disappearance, the Coast Guard and several partner agencies launched an extensive search operation covering more than 90 square miles over a 30-hour period. Crews used powerful lights from both the shore and nearby cliffs through the night in a desperate effort to locate her. The search was eventually called off Wednesday after officials determined continuing was unlikely to yield results.
However, on Thursday morning, an aerial search team spotted Amada’s body in the water, several hundred yards from where she had been swept away.
Her father later spoke at a vigil held in her memory, remembering her as a joyful child who loved being near the ocean and adored movies like “Moana” and “Frozen,” calling her his “little princess.”
A fundraiser created to support the grieving family has already collected over $12,000 in donations.
Authorities noted that the same dangerous ocean conditions also contributed to a fatal incident in Santa Cruz County, where another person died and a second remains in critical condition after being swept into the sea.
