The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a swimmer who went missing off Huntington Beach on Friday afternoon, as the rescue effort moves to a recovery mission.
Huntington Beach lifeguards say they’ll continue searching for the man, identified by Coast Guard officials as 53-year-old Van Nguyen, who was reported missing around 4 p.m. Friday.
Nguyen and two friends were wading in chest-deep water when he began yelling for help, said Lt. Claude Panis of Huntington Beach Marine Safety. As one of his friends was approaching, they were hit by a strong wave. The two friends made it back to shore but Nguyen had disappeared.
Lifeguards had a difficult time communicating with Nguyen’s friends, so a police officer was brought in to translate. They told officials Nguyen was visiting from San Francisco.
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