1 week Ago By David Matthews
The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for an Indianapolis woman who went missing while swimming at a beach in Puerto Rico.
The 22-year-old woman was swimming with two friends at Condado Beach in San Juan around 6:30 p.m. Sunday when they were caught in strong rip currents.
She was seen in distress by a Coast Guard watchstander. The woman’s companions, who are also U.S.
citizens, were rescued and assisted ashore by local bystanders and responding authorities, the Coast Guard said. However, the woman — whose name has not been released — remains missing. She was described as wearing a white shirt, pants and beach swim wear.
The military branch dispatched a helicopter, an airplane and a boat from Sector San Juan to search the area. Earlier this year, Samuel Wanjiru, a 26-year-old Marine from Massachusetts, disappeared while swimming at La Pared beach in Luquillo. The search was suspended several days later.
The same day Wanjiru went missing, another American tourist drowned in a separate incident rescuing their children from being swept away from heavy surf In the past, the Coast Guard has warned most public beaches in Puerto Rico do not have lifeguards on duty. Roughly 30 beachgoers and surfers die due to rip currents every year in Puerto Rico, according to Surf Line..
