The body of a 15-year-old swimmer who went missing off Huntington Beach last month has been found.
The body was spotted this week floating in the water near lifeguard tower 3, about two miles from where the teenager was last seen.
The swimmer, identified by friends and family as Aayan Randhawa, who would have been an incoming sophomore at Huntington Beach High School, disappeared on July 28 around 9 p.m. after he went into the water with a friend near lifeguard tower 11.
Agencies including the Coast Guard, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Port Police and California State Parks joined forces in a massive search operation that lasted more than 19 hours and spanned 105 square miles. Divers from the Huntington Beach Fire Department’s Marine Safety Division worked alongside a vessel with sonar scanning capabilities, while the Coast Guard deployed a cutter and response boats, and helicopters searched from above.
Authorities that day noted strong rip currents in the area and waves as high as 5 feet.
Even though the official search was suspended more than a week ago, local lifeguards and first responders continued the search until the body was discovered Monday.
“Despite search efforts being suspended by the United States Coast Guard, our teams continued utilizing available resources,” the city Fire Department said in a statement. “Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the young swimmer during this incredibly difficult time.”
More than 100 friends, family and classmates gathered last week for a candlelight vigil at Huntington Beach Pier, where Aayan’s mother, Sana Randhawa, shared memories of her youngest child.
“He was a shining star of our family,” she told the Daily Pilot. “He was always happy, and he loved to come to the beach all the time. That was his favorite place.”