Amada Brown, 5, was weeks away from starting kindergarten before Laguna Beach tragedy

LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA: A 5-year-old California girl who died after being swept out to sea by powerful waves in Laguna Beach this week was preparing to begin kindergarten later this summer, school officials said.

Amada Mia Brown disappeared on Tuesday, June 9, evening after hazardous surf conditions pulled her, her mother, and her brother into the ocean near Treasure Island Beach. While bystanders rescued her mother and brother, Amada was carried away by the current. Her body was recovered on Thursday following a large-scale search operation.

School district mourns student ahead of kindergarten start

Maria Garcia, communications manager for the San Bernardino City Unified School District, confirmed that Amada was scheduled to start kindergarten in August and was expected to attend a new student orientation next month.

“We mourn Amada’s loss and hold her family in our thoughts during this difficult time,” Garcia told The California Post.

The incident unfolded as strong surf battered Southern California’s coastline. Witnesses entered the water to help after the family was caught in the waves near the shoreline. Amada’s mother and brother were rescued, while two people who assisted in the rescue effort were transported to a local hospital in stable condition with unspecified injuries.

Following Amada’s disappearance, the US Coast Guard and multiple local, state, and federal agencies launched an extensive search covering more than 90 square miles over a period exceeding 30 hours. Video obtained by The California Post showed emergency crews using high-powered lights from beaches and cliff tops during the nighttime search.

Authorities suspended active search efforts Wednesday after concluding further operations were unlikely to succeed. However, on Thursday morning, a Laguna Beach Police Department aerial search team located Amada’s body approximately 250 to 300 yards offshore and about a quarter-mile north of where she had been swept away. 

The tragedy came as dangerous ocean conditions affected multiple areas of California. In Santa Cruz County, authorities confirmed that another person died on Wednesday, June 10, after being swept into the ocean at Bonny Doon Beach. 

Father remembers daughter as  community rallies around family

Family members, friends, and community supporters gathered at a vigil following the recovery of Amada’s body, where her father, Aaron Brown, shared memories of his daughter. “She liked ‘Moana,’ she liked ‘Frozen.’ She was my little princess,” Brown told ABC7.

Reflecting on her personality and love of the ocean, he added, “She’s just my sweet little baby. She’s a bright child. She’s just 5 years old. She loved the beach… She was never afraid of the water.”

A GoFundMe campaign was established to assist the family described Amada as a child who dreamed of becoming a singer and enjoyed a wide range of music. The fundraiser said she filled “every room she entered with joy, laughter, and light” and described her as “a happy, cheerful, and loving little girl whose smile could brighten anyone’s day.”