News

The U.S. Coast Guard has recovered the body of an 8-year-old girl who was swept out to sea near Big Lagoon yesterday afternoon.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office reports that the girl was swept into the ocean while jumping into waves on the ocean side of the lagoon at about 3:15 p.m. yesterday. Sheriff’s deputies joined personnel from CalFire, the Bureau of Land Management, the Orick Fire Department, state parks and the U.S. Coast Guard in the search.

The girl was found at about 4 p.m., about 1 mile south of where she’d entered the water. She was flown to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The case remains under investigation.

Find the full press release from the sheriff's office copied below:

Subject: Juvenile Death Case: 201801926

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



On 04-21-18, at approximately 3:15 pm, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an eight year old female that had been swept into the ocean after jumping into the waves on the ocean side of Big Lagoon. Deputies along with personnel from Cal Fire, Bureau of Land Management, California State Parks, Orick Fire Department, and the United States Coast Guard all responded to the scene.

At approximately 4:00 pm, the USCG located the juvenile approximately one mile south of where she entered the water. She was flown to a local hospital where she was later pronounced deceased. This investigation is ongoing and the cause of death has not been determined. An autopsy has been scheduled for later this week.

Anyone with information for the Sheriff’s Office regarding this case or criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.
William Honsal, Sheriff