Authorities said Sunday night they recovered the body of an 18-year-old Long Beach man who went missing in Rancho Palos Verdes Wednesday.
Residents walking on the cliffs near where Joseph Sanchez, 18, went missing Wednesday while cliff diving with friends. Sanchez's body was recovered just 50 yards from where he was last seen.
His family was seen arriving as the body was returned to shore.
Sanchez and several friends were jumping off the cliffs above Abalone Cove when strong currents pulled him and a friend into a cave. The friend was able to escape.
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"Down there it's a washing machine in fact. It spins you around, hits the rocks, takes you down under, brings your back up and shoots you into the cave. It is extremely dangerous," said Sgt. David Rozas of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Rozas said a number of swimmers have been scraped and bruised by the rocks. The day before Sanchez went missing, another swimmer had to be pulled from the same water.
The area near where Sanchez went missing has been closed to swimmers since he was swept away, and lifeguards and others plan to meet to discuss what to do with the popular but dangerous area.
The search for Sanchez became a body recovery mission after the first day of searching.
