Missing Air Force member last seen caught in rip current at Texas beach, officials say

A 22-year-old Air Force member is missing after swimming at a Texas beach Sunday, U.S. Coast Guard officials say.

Elijah Posana was last seen swimming about 100 feet from shore at Surfside Beach when someone saw him being pulled by a rip current, Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston said.

Surfside Beach is situated along the Gulf of Mexico, about 40 miles southwest from Galveston.

Crews began searching for Posana Sunday using a boat and helicopter, according to the Coast Guard. Various Coast Guard groups are assisting the Surfside Police Department and Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office in the search, KHOU reported.

“Every case is unique and different. It really depends on how much area has been searched, the weather and a number of other complex factors that go into how long the search will last,” Petty Officer Hause of the Coast Guard Public Affairs Detachment in Houston told the Brazasport Facts.

Parts of Brazoria County were experiencing floods from recent rains, the sheriff’s office said Sunday morning.

Anyone with information about Posana’s disappearance is asked to call the local Coast Guard command center at 281-464-4854.

This story was originally published May 3, 2021 at 7:27 AM.