SAN PEDRO, Calif. — The Coast Guard suspended the active search at noon Thursday, for 24-year-old Jowayne Binford, who went missing while swimming with friends off the coast of Huntington Beach, Wednesday.
The swimmer, a resident of Long Beach, was last seen at 7 p.m. about 200 yards offshore in the vicinity of the Surfside area of Huntington Beach.
The Coast Guard extensively searched 78 square miles of ocean, stretching from Long Beach to Newport Beach, and six miles out to sea.
A MH-65C Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles flew four separate flights totaling almost nine hours. Coast Guard Cutter Narwhal and a 45-foot Response Boat from Coast Guard Station Los Angeles-Long Beach were among the search assets that searched through the night into Thursday.
Rescue boats from the Long Beach Lifeguards and Orange County Sheriff’s Department also aided in the search. Shoreline searches were conducted by Seal Beach Lifeguards and a Huntington Beach Police helicopter.
When the Coast Guard suspends a search, it means no rescue crews will be actively searching. Searches can resume if information is received that would lead responders to believe the search should continue. The Coast Guard urges the public to be aware of the dangers of being in or on the water during high surf conditions.
