A peaceful moment by the water ended in unimaginable heartbreak when a 5-year-old child was swept out to sea by a powerful wave. What began as a normal outing quickly turned into a desperate fight for survival. Witnesses say everything happened in seconds, leaving no time to react. Emergency crews rushed to the scene, battling the ocean in a frantic search effort. The community is now left in shock, struggling to comprehend the sudden loss. And one haunting question remains: how could everything change so fast? 📌 Full story in the comments
Tragic new detail emerges in death of 5-year-old swept out to sea by massive wave
The 5-year-old San Bernardino girl who was swept out to sea by a massive wave in Laguna Beach this week was set to start kindergarten later this summer, school officials said.
Amada Mia Brown, who died after being caught in the powerful surf battering California’s coast Tuesday night, was scheduled to begin kindergarten in the San Bernardino City Unified School District in August, Communications Manager Maria Garcia told The California Post.
“We mourn Amada’s loss and hold her family in our thoughts during this difficult time,” Garcia said.
Amada Mia Brown was killed after being sucked into the sea in Laguna on Tuesday.Tatiana Puerta/gofundme
Amada was also set to attend a new student orientation next month, Garcia added.
The young girl vanished Tuesday evening after powerful waves pulled her, her mother and her brother into the ocean near the shoreline at Treasure Island Beach.
Heroic bystanders who took to the rough water managed to rescue Amada’s mother and brother, but Amada was carried out to sea.
Tatiana Puerta/gofundme
Tatiana Puerta/gofundme
Two of those who helped with the rescue were transported to a local hospital in stable condition with unspecified injuries.
After Amada disappeared, the US Coast Guard and multiple partner agencies launched a massive search spanning more than 30 hours and 90 square miles.
Video obtained by The California Post showed the frantic search for the young girl Tuesday night as officials used high-powered flashlights from the shore and cliffside.
A massive search was launched after she went missing.Mindy Schauer/The Orange County Register via AP
The search was suspended Wednesday after authorities concluded further efforts were unlikely to succeed.
But on Thursday morning, a Laguna Beach Police Department aerial search located Amada’s body about 250 to 300 yards offshore and roughly a quarter-mile north of where she was swept away.
Amada’s father, Aaron Brown, paid tribute to his daughter during a vigil following the discovery.
Father Aaron Brown called Amada his “little princess.”Facebook/Eye Que
He described her as a cheerful child who embraced life and loved being near the water.
“She liked ‘Moana,’ she liked ‘Frozen.’ She was my little princess,” he told ABC 7.
A online fundraiser posted to help Amada’s family had raised more than $12,000 by Friday afternoon.
Amada’s body was discoverred Thursday.Obtained by CA Post
The same powerful storm swells that took Amada’s life claimed another victim in Santa Cruz County on Wednesday, officials there said.
One person was confirmed killed and another remained in critical condition Friday afternoon after being swept into the ocean at Bonny Doon Beach in Santa Cruz, a spokeswoman for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff confirmed.