SURFSIDE BEACH, Texas – The search continued Monday for Joshua Lahai, an 11-year-old child who went missing in the water at Surfside Beach yesterday, according to the Surfside Police Department.
Officials say the efforts have now shifted towards recovery. Lahai’s shorts have been recovered by search crews early Monday evening.
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Police said the child disappeared around 5 p.m. Sunday while in the water near the beach. Lahai was last seen in the water, wearing multi-colored shorts.
Last night, Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller confirmed to KPRC 2 that he was heading to Surfside Beach to assist with the search. Monday morning, he said his team is still working.
“We’ve been here all night,” Miller told KPRC 2’s Michael Horton. “Nobody’s gotten any sleep. We’re doing what we’re doing.”
Officials confirmed the child had been visiting Surfside Beach with a little league football team from Richmond, Texas, along with family members and friends.
According to authorities, the boy was with another child approximately 150 yards offshore when a large wave came through.
Police said the 11-year-old went underwater and did not resurface, while the other child was able to make it safely back to shore.
Multiple agencies have joined the search effort. Miller said his Texas Equusearch team consists of roughly 30 people at the scene. They are joined by members of Surfside PD and Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office.
The United States Coast Guard was also called in to assist Sunday night, deploying a fixed-wing aircraft, helicopter and boat crews to aid in the search. Miller confirmed that the helicopter was going back up again in the next few minutes.
Surfside police officers walked the shoreline while using drones to search the water from above.
This is a developing story.