Body Found in Seal Beach Is Believed to Be Drowned Swimmer's

A body that had washed into the jetty in Seal Beach this afternoon is believed to be that of a 24-year-old Long Beach man who drowned two weeks ago.

Jowayne Binford was last seen 200 yards off the coast of Surfside on Aug. 31, when friends and lifeguards lost track of him amid unusually large swells and strong currents. For more than 24 hours, multiple agencies searched for Binford as his family and friends held out hope for him. However, the search was eventually called off and Binford presumed dead.

The body was found entangled at the end of the West Anaheim Bay jetty by a patrol boat from the U.S. Naval Weapons Station at about 3:30 p.m., said Seal Beach Lifeguard Chief Joe Bailey. The Seal Beach lifeguard and police departments, along with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, retrieved it and took it to the Orange County coroner’s department to be examined, he said.