Body of drowning victim recovered at Bolsa Chica

The body of one of two young men who disappeared off Huntington Beach Pier a week ago washed ashore on Bolsa Chica State Beach, authorities said Sunday.

The Orange County coroner’s office identified the victim as 20-year-old Shao Moua, who went missing in the afternoon of Aug. 28. Authorities said Moua and John Shua Lee, 24, both of Banning, were swept off their feet by waves five to six feet tall.

Moua, whose body was discovered Saturday morning, died of apparent drowning, according to coroner’s officials.

Moua and Lee were among a group of revelers from the Lao Evangelical Church who had attended a wedding. They were presumed drowned after a search effort involving a flotilla of rescue boats, jet skis and scuba divers could not locate them.

Two other men were also swept away but survived; one swam ashore and another was rescued by lifeguards.

—Victoria Kim, Los Angeles Times