Coroners identify swimmer who drowned near Thousand Steps Beach as teenage girl

A 16-year-old girl from Los Angeles has been identified as the swimmer who died in the ocean south of Thousand Steps Beach in Laguna Beach on Wednesday, according to the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office.

At 4:50 p.m. lifeguards were alerted by a witness who reported that the swimmer, later identified as Juliette Jung, went underwater after being overtaken by waves near a remote, rocky area of the beach.

Authorities initiated a missing swimmer search and rescue response. County lifeguards answered calls from the Laguna Beach Fire Department for assistance. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Orange County Fire Authority and Laguna Beach Marine Safety, fire and police participated.

Rescuers located Jung in the water at about 6:10 p.m., officials said. She was brought ashore by lifeguards near Three Arch Bay, where she was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Constantly changing beach, surf and tidal conditions make the rocky areas along the shoreline unpredictable and extremely hazardous,” OC Parks spokeswoman Marisa O’Neil said in a statement. “OC Lifeguards advise beachgoers to avoid going near the ocean in areas where there is no lifeguard on duty and to check with lifeguards on current conditions before recreating near the water.”

O’Neil said lifeguards typically patrol the beaches during the week and are stationed there on weekends in October.

A GoFundMe for Jung’s funeral expenses had raised $21,480 of its $25,000 goal as of Friday afternoon.

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