Two Banning Swimmers Presumed Drowned Off Coast

Rescue workers in Huntington Beach today resumed a search for two Banning residents presumed drowned in the ocean over the weekend.

John Shua Lee, 24, and Shao Moua, 20, got caught — along with two others — in a rip current just before 4:40 p.m. Saturday, Marine Safety Lt. Mike Beuerlein said.

The search resumed about 6 this morning, with a lifeguard rescue boat joining in about 11 a.m. A police helicopter was also scheduled to fly over periodically, Beuerlein said.

“After dark, the lifeguard patrol will continue to search until midnight,” Beuerlein said.

Lee, Moua and two other men, who were in town to celebrate a wedding, waded about 20 to 30 yards from shore and got sucked into a strong rip current, Beuerlein said.

Lifeguards rescued one of the men, and the other man was able to get to shore on his own, Beuerlein said. The other two are believed to have drowned, Beuerlein said.

Anyone who has poor to no swimming skills should be aware of the dangers of rip currents, he said.

“A person like that with poor or no swimming ability could be one step away from being over their head,” Beuerlein said. “We tell people if you don’t know how to swim, don’t get in the ocean.”

The two survivors admitted to lifeguards they were poor swimmers, Beuerlein said.