A 31-year-old woman was found dead on a popular surfing beach in Los Angeles, just four hours after her boyfriend reported her missing. The Los Angeles County medical examiner's office identified the victim as Jennifer Hanie, 31. Hanie got separated from her boyfriend and a group of people while walking on the beach in the early hours, Manhattan Beach Police said.
Her boyfriend spent two hours trying to locate her before raising the alarm at 6:40 am, prompting an extensive search along the shore and in the water. A lifeguard made the grim discovery around 10:13 a.m. near the shoreline of Manhattan Beach, a popular park along the South Bay.
Mysterious Death
"The reporting party stated he last saw his girlfriend near the water line," Manhattan Beach police said in a statement.
"The reporting party and his friends searched for the female, and when they could not find her, they called MBPD."
Law enforcement, in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Lifeguards and the US Coast Guard, launched an extensive search of both the beach and the ocean for Hanie.
The Strand and the beach's bike path were closed off from the Manhattan Beach Pier to 15th Street.
A lifeguard discovered Hanie's body near the 2300 block of The Strand at 10:13 am. The circumstances under which Hanie died and whether she had been in the water and washed ashore remain unclear, and the LA County Medical Examiner's office has not yet revealed the exact cause of death.
Investigation Launched
Police have launched an investigation as Hanie's death remains shrouded in mystery. Her disappearance at the popular filming location coincided with the aftermath of Wednesday's full moon and a high tide occurring at 9:04 am on the morning of her death.
"When I got up in the morning I noticed some activity out on the beach and didn't really think anything of it, and then I went to work and I noticed more activity going on," said Bob Beverley who owns the Shellback Tavern on the pier.
"They had found a body out on the beach and it's a very sad situation, and it appears to be a young girl."
Beverley mentioned that Hanie was believed to have been staying in a nearby vacation rental and had gone out for an early morning swim.
"Well it's not that common in late January," he said adding, "It's usually pretty quiet out here and the surf has been very strong."
"Absolutely heartbreaking," wrote Brenda Bush-Campos on the police's Facebook page. "Prayers to the family and friend."
