Searchers recovered the body of a 21-year-old man who went missing while swimming near the Redondo Beach Pier early Saturday.
The body of Marlon Fajardo was discovered by searchers around 10 a.m.
The victim’s grandmother said the family can now start the healing process.
“Not a happy ending, but at least it’s good to know that they found him,” she said.
Fajardo, identified by his grandmother, was in the waist-deep water with friends around 3:30 a.m. When his friends lost sight of him, they searched for 10 minutes and then called 911.
He was last seen wearing maroon shorts and no shirt.
Emergency personnel were searching for the missing swimmer in the ocean near the Knob Hill Lifeguard Tower near Knob Hill Avenue and Esplande. Three harbor patrol boats and two helicopters, as well as search divers were used in the search.
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The swimmer's family arrived on scene just after 5 a.m.
"From talking with the family members who are scene now, he's not a very good swimmer so that's why we're doing both the efforts on the beachside at the shoreline and also up to a mile out," Redondo Beach Fire Dept. Battalion Chief Rob Rappaport said early Saturday.
The LA County Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard aided in the search.
A high surf advisory has been in effect since Friday for the coastal areas of Long Beach up to Ventura County. The advisory has been issued through Monday morning. Swimmers and amateur surfers are urged to stay out of the water.
