Body found in Santa Ana River might be connected to Dec. 24 search and rescue attempt

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department responded Tuesday to a portion of the Santa Ana River just north of the Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach, where a body was discovered in the swiftly moving water.

Spokesman Sgt. Todd Hylton, on scene at the recovery effort Tuesday afternoon, confirmed a call came in shortly after noon Tuesday reporting a body seen floating in the riverbed.

Hylton said the Sheriff’s Department was working with the Orange County Fire Authority and members of the Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa fire departments using a boat to retrieve the decedent, which had been moving rapidly downstream.

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue crews drive along a bike path on the east side of the Santa Ana River, where a body was found Tuesday.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

“There’s still moving water,” Hylton said of the river, which has seen an increase in water levels due to recent rainfall. “We just got a boat out on the water. They’re trying to remove the body from the water at this time.”

With the retrieval effort underway, and with the Orange County coroner’s office on scene, no information as to the age, size or gender of the decedent or the circumstances surrounding the individual’s death was immediately available.

However, the location is roughly five miles away from a spot on the Santa Ana River, in the city of Santa Ana, where the Orange County Fire Authority and local fire crews on the morning of Dec. 24 initiated a swift water rescue after an individual reportedly got swept into the river.

Costa Mesa fire Capt. Joe Noceti reported at the time of the incident multiple crews and a helicopter were on scene searching for the potential victim, described only as a male.

In that incident, firefighters received a 911 call regarding a person seen in the riverbed near MacArthur Boulevard. Rescue crews from Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley and Newport Beach were posted at multiple points along the river south to Pacific Coast Highway, the OCFA reported.

After an exhaustive search conducted from the ground, air and water, no person was found, and the search was ultimately called off by 2:30 p.m. Hylton said it’s possible the body found Tuesday could be the same individual.

“This could be related to that incident — we’re unsure at this point,” he said.

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.